Undying Devotion
by Nami Swannn
Summary: A young woman wants to pursue her dream in finding Fantasia Island. When a storm causes her to cross paths with the Strawhat Pirates, she learns that falling in love can happen to anybody, including a skeleton.
1. Dream

**_Hey-lo! This is my first fanfic so don't expect perfection, though I sure as hell will try. I bet many of you are wondering why the heck I'm pairing a skeleton up with somebody, and to be honest...I'm not entirely sure. I love the idea of falling in love with somebody not because of how they look, but because of the person they are. [Yes, this does include skeletons.]_**

**_This will not be a one-shot. As much as I enjoy the idea of love at first sight, I prefer building up relationships so they seem more realistic. I like witnessing a relationship go from strangers, to friends, and then eventually to lovers. It's just neat to see the process of two very different people falling in love._**

**_I will have the name of the song that I think perfectly fits the scene at the top. None of the songs will have wording in them, and can easily be found on youtube or any other sites where it's possible to listen to music. [May not be for every chapter.]_**

**_I will have several scenarios in here that will be influenced off of a fairy tale or Disney movie. Some will be obvious, and others not so much. I'll put up the answers at the end of the story. : ]_**

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**_4/6/15 Hello guys! For those of you reading this story for the first time, welcome! For those rereading it, then I thank you for your continued support. : ] I am currently going through this story and fixing all the errors I come across so I can make it a bit more enjoyable. I still love this story to pieces, but I feel I've come a long way as a writer, so I would like to add a few more details and correct any minor grammar issues. So, if you are rereading it you might notice a few changes, but nothing too major. Also, I will be putting this sign [+] when the music for a scene is finished to help it play out a little better in your mind. Enjoy!_**

**One: Dream**

Rosiv Island was a modest-sized island that sat precisely one hundred miles North West from the center of the wondrous and deadly Grand Line, a place where most pirates aimed to reach but were usually wiped out by a storm or colossal sea monsters during the long and dangerous voyage. It was a place many had never heard of, for it wasn't unique in any sort of way, which made it a place of peace and happiness for a majority of the residents.

However, not every citizen was content with their life on the lush enclave.

Sitting at the edge of a dock was a young woman with bright cerulean eyes that held a sense of sadness and disappointment. She stared down at her reflection in the ocean, only to have her image rippled away by the gentle padding of her bare feet. She sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest. Stray curls from her thick auburn hair tickled her face as a calm breeze caressed her ivory skin, sending a faint chill down her spine.

"It's not fair," she whispered to herself as she wrapped her arms around the front part of her slender legs. Gently she pressed her forehead down against the top of her knees, wondering just how long she'd been sitting there. One hour? Maybe two? People walking through the port-side village behind her were probably wondering what was wrong with her; she was surprised nobody had even bothered to walk over to her and say anything. Since the island was so small, everybody inhabiting it basically knew each other and were on a first-name basis. Usually she would welcome company, but at the moment she only desired a few moments of solitude so she might have a chance to sort her overbearing thoughts. Either way, she knew she had to go home eventually and face her parents, which she was most certainly not looking forward to doing.

_She stood at the top of the stairs, her eyes closed as she once again repeated to herself in a low and trembling voice what she planned to tell her parents. She could hear them talking in the kitchen, probably discussing something about work. Her mother and father were both well-respected Admirals in the Marines, which led to them constantly being away from home. They usually didn't stay away for very long, but nonetheless they managed to fulfill their roles of doting and worrying parents. Liara was their top priority, and since Pirates were the natural enemy of the Marines they would worry about her safety in the midst of their absence. _

_It was why every declining step she took filled her with a great deal of worry. She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart as she reached the bottom, and then entered the kitchen._

_"Ahh, Liara! Dinner should be ready in about an hour!" Her father, Admiral Merick, was a tall and muscular black-haired man who commanded absolute respect from his fellow Marines. However, if one of the Marine officers were to see their so-called "fearsome leader", they would die from laughter. On the mighty sea he held a sword, but at home he wielded a knife to slice onions and work a blue apron._

_"Can you believe this?! That bastard Calgar turned in another pirate crew, yet he seems to keep "losing" those damn Black Dragon pirates! I'm telling you right now, they're probably working together!" Liara's mother, Admiral Mina, was a woman of average height with hazel eyes and brown hair that she usually wore up in a high ponytail. She was known for being impatient and very blunt, both traits making an appearance as she smacked the Grand Line Times onto the round table in front of her and leaned back in one of the dining table chairs, her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration._

_Merick glanced up for a moment to take off his glasses and wipe away the tears that stung his blue eyes from the onion's aroma. "Well, it can't be helped," he responded with a shrug while slipping the spectacles over the bridge of his nose. "The big bosses seem to think he can handle it, and we were outvoted in the decision. Until he does something that really displeases the other Admirals, or proof that he is working with the Black Dragons is discovered, there is absolutely nothing we can do about it."_

_Mina waved off his words with a frown. "It's bullshit and we both know it." Her eyes suddenly trailed over to her daughter's silent figure._

_ Liara found herself feeling even more nervous before, her fingers tugging on each other as her mom glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. She once again took a deep breath and straightened up to give off an air of absolute seriousness._

_"Mom, dad, I have something I want to talk to you about." Upon hearing those words, both parents gave her their full attention, her father setting the knife down as he heard the nervous tone in her voice._

_"What is it?" he asked while wiping his fingers on the bottom of his apron._

_Mina's eyes narrowed. "Are you pregnant?"_

_Liara's face burned crimson as she hastily shook her head. "Wh-what? No! Why would you even think that?!" she squeaked out in embarrassment._

_Mina sighed in relief as she smiled and slung an arms over the back of her chair. "Oh, well I'm not worried then. By all means, talk away."_

_Liara's eyes darted around the room nervously, her fingers twirling around each other as if they were in an intimate dance. "Mom, dad, I'm 22 years old now, and I've been thinking about something lately... something that I've actually considered doing since I was a little girl." She looked up at her parent's curious faces, knowing that her answer would probably stun them. "I want to set sail and find Fantasia Island." There. She had finally said it, and a big burden seemed to have lifted off her shoulders. She gave a small smile and studied her parent's faces for some sort of reaction._

_Silence._

_Both of her parents glanced at each other before looking back at their daughter, and that was when the laughter started. At first Liara found herself feeling surprised, and even slightly hopeful, that they were merely just laughing because she had no reason to be nervous, that they understood completely. She was wrong._

_"That is so ridiculous!" Mina exclaimed as their laughter faded. "Fantasia Island? Please tell me you're joking."_

_Liara looked at her mother, feeling hurt that she wasn't being taken seriously. "No, I'm dead- serious. There are explorers out there who have written about the island, saying it's the most beautiful and peaceful place in the world and that those who visit want to stay forever because of how wonderful it is." A fond smile crossed her face. "There are supposed to be fairies that light up the day and night sky, and fish and other animals are free and coexist peacefully with all who step foot on the land. There are trees that are so large that they appear to touch the sky, and it's said that five large waterfalls are placed evenly on the island, each with a stream that connects at the center to create a wishing lake. Only those with pure and uncorrupted souls can make a wish in the water that will come true the moment it is said. I want nothing more than to visit that place and experience its beauty, so I can write about it and share what I saw with the world." She once again looked at her parents with hopeful eyes, and yet again she felt her heart being tugged painfully as her mother gave her a disapproving head shake._

_"Liara, that island has been written about in fairy tales and children stories. It's a myth. To go after a non-existent place like that is ridiculous and plain suicide. I will not allow you to pursue such a childish dream." Her mother spoke this with such a firm tone that Liara knew she wouldn't win the argument. Feeling both of her parent's eyes watching her, she found herself feeling humiliated. She had come to them feeling like an adult, and now felt like a child who was being punished. Water blurred her version as her lower lip trembled. She turned around and began to walk away._

_"Liara!" Merick called out, giving her one last glimmer of hope that maybe they'd changed their minds. She stopped, and slowly turned her head so only the side of her face could be seen. "Honey, I'm sorry, but your mother is right. You don't even know how to survive on the Grand Line. It's too dangerous. You wouldn't last five minutes on your own." _

_Liara knew her father was speaking the truth about her chance of survival not being that high, especially since she'd be on her own, but she also knew that if she didn't go after her dream, she'd regret it forever. _

_"I can't believe you'd laugh at me. I thought you'd understand," she said in a low and shaky voice. She then took off through the front door, ignoring the shouting of her name and the strange looks people gave her as she ran through the town and towards the docks, hot tears trailing down her face._

The tears had stopped coming a while ago, but she hadn't even bothered wiping their stain off her cheeks. Her eyes were sore and puffy, and her head throbbed. Usually after an argument she had with her parents, Liara would realize that they were right and only looking out for her, and then they would all apologize and everything would be okay.

Not this time. All of her friends had already left to pursue their dreams, and now it was time for her to follow her own path. She'd waited years to even bring the idea up to her parents, and she wasn't going to allow them laughing at her to stop her.

Her heart pounded against her ribs, urging her to go on and leave, and although her legs shook with exhilaration and nerves, there was absolutely no doubt in her mind that Fantasia Island was real. She could feel it, and if she closed her eyes she could hear the ocean breeze bidding her to sail its majestic waves.

She stood up, slipped her shoes back on, and headed towards her house with her head held high and adrenaline flowing through her veins. She was running away tonight.


	2. Storm

_** Thanks so much to everybody who fave'd or reviewed the last chapter. I didn't think anybody would actually like it, so I'm really grateful! : ] Thanks guys!**_

_**Updated: 4/17/15**_

**Chapter 2: Storm**

Liara woke to bright rays piercing her through her eyelids and stinging her irises. Her brows lowered themselves as she leisurely opened her eyes, only to promptly turn away as the unforgiving sun temporarily blinded her. She raised an arm up and used her hand to provide just enough shade to herself so she could get her vision back and take a moment to verify her surroundings.

She didn't have too much of an idea as to where she was currently at, only that she was drifting around somewhere on the Grand Line, which was luckily serene and without a pirate ship in sight. The sky was a lovely shade of azure that perfectly mirrored the water, and only a few clouds graced the celestial sphere. When she'd fallen asleep hours before, the heavens had been splattered by a magnificent display of stars and a sliver of moon. She'd allowed the gentle rocking of her vessel to disperse what remained of her nerves and lull her into a pleasant sleep.

_When she'd returned home that previous afternoon, she had wasted no time. She immediately headed straight for her room and began packing. Her hands had felt sweaty while she shoved her belongings into a medium-sized duffel bag, and guilty and anxiety relentlessly churned her stomach to the point where she felt like she was going to vomit. What she was about to do would absolutely destroy her parents, and that was something she would have to live with for the rest of her life._

_Several times she'd have to sit down and take deep breaths to prevent herself from panicking and giving the whole thing up. Running away from home wasn't something she felt comfortable doing. Of course, she'd always envisioned herself leaving the island and going on her own journey, but she'd also believed that her parents would've given her their blessing in doing so. Now that she knew they were against her idea, she realized that she had no choice but to push herself. If she succumbed to her parents' wishes and stayed safe on Rosiv Island for the rest of her life, she'd be miserable. For 22 years she'd lived with her parents and respectfully done everything they'd ever asked of her. She was a smart woman who had aced all her tests at Rosiv's school, and she'd obediently stayed behind as she'd watched the few friends she did have leave and move on with their lives. _

_Her parents should've understood how she felt. Both of them had come from separate islands to fulfill their dreams of joining the Marines, yet they were denying Liara the same opportunity. She knew she didn't really have any experience when it came to navigating on the ocean, especially one as dangerous as the Grand Line, but she'd learn. She was a small girl who wouldn't matter to pirates or Marines. All she wanted to do was find her island, and even if it didn't exist she would at least have the satisfaction of knowing that she followed her heart and tried to find it. Her gut told her it did exist though, and that made her more determined than ever to face her fears and leave._

_Her parents had bid her good night, and Liara pretended that everything was okay as she shoved her traveling bag beneath her bed and smiled. Once she heard her father's boisterous snoring from her parent's bedroom she gathered her courage and grabbed her belongings, which merely consisted of a pair of hiking boots, two other outfits, a set of pajamas, seven undergarments, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, a hair brush, toothbrush, and two books that held the most detail about Fantasia's myth. She then snuck to her parents' bedroom and left a note on her mother's bedside table before she smiled sadly and tiptoed out of the house. _

_She proceeded to use the money she'd saved up just for the occasion over the last several years to buy a boat from a kind boat merchant she'd spoken to after leaving the docks earlier that day. He'd graciously let her purchase the craft so late into the night, and even provided her a discount once he heard her story. His wife had been wonderful enough to provide Liara with a satchel of two day's worth of food, and both were present to greet her and give her some advice on operating the device before wishing her a hearty good luck as they watched her depart._

Leaning over the edge of the boat, she stuck her hand into the cold water and placed her chin on the back of her other hand. She'd be lying if she claimed she wasn't scared; oh no, that couldn't be any further from the truth. However, she couldn't deny the rush of excitement that flowed through her blood, or the big smile that would come to her face when she thought of her destination, and how after all those years of dreaming she was finally on her way to making her dreams come true. _"I only hope I can make it there okay," _she thought to herself, nervously biting her lower lip.

**_[Music: Track 5-Cyclone; One Piece Strong World]_**

Within seconds everything change. The sky that had been so blue and beautiful only a moment before was now covered by an outbreak of dark ashen clouds. A chill rose up her spine as the water began to rock back and forth with a growth of raging waves that lapped relentlessly against the sides of her boat. Thunder deafeningly roared in her ears as a bolt of lightning zapped the water only a few feet in front of her. Her eyes widened as panic set in, but she knew that now was not the time to be apprehensive. Her fingers stiffened around a thick rope and she began to drag it down until she was certain the main sail was securely in place. A harsh abrupt wind jerked the boat forward, causing Liara to fall forward against the mast and then backward onto the deck. Her was painfully smacked against the wooden flooring, bringing about a brief moment of dizziness. A bright flash of hot light temporarily blinded her before she gathered her senses and noticed that the vessel's mast was on fire. Grey smoke curled itself off the raging flames that hastily devoured the sail and filled the air with an unbearable heat. Cornered and without any other option, she briskly grabbed her bag and pushed herself over the railing and into the frigid water.

Her nostrils burned from salt water as she floated in the brisk abyss of darkness and space. Her body shook with each heartbeat and her lungs already ached for air. She painfully tightened her hold on the duffel bag as she kicked with all her might against the ocean's forceful current until she broke through the surface. She gasped for breath and coughed out water as she used her free hand to wipe away remaining droplets from her vision. As her eyes rapidly scanned the area, she noticed a piece of debris from her boat floating nearby, its edges charred from the fire. Although her muscles burned with protest, she managed to swim over to the object and climb on top of it, her bag falling next to her with a thump. She glanced tiredly over at the boat she had owned for not even a day, the bright flames crackling and hurting her eyes. She passed out as pain swept over her eyes and exhaustion over took her body.

[+]

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"Look! An island!"

Usopp and Chopper rushed forward from their fishing posts the moment Luffy's ecstatic yell was heard, their faces glowing with excitement.

"Where?! Where!?" they both asked as they leaned over the Thousand Sunny's front railing, their heads moving quickly from left to right in an attempt to see what Luffy was looking at. Much to their disappointment, their captain only laughed, nearly falling off from his position on the ship's railing as he placed his hands on his stomach and threw his head backwards.

POW!

An irritated Nami stood behind the rubbery captain with her fist raised in the air and a scowl on her face. "You idiot! Don't waste our time by yelling out pointless crap like that!" She placed her hands over her hips and stared up at him in disapproval. She had been in the middle of finishing her newest map when Luffy's cry scared the crap out of her and nearly caused her to spill ink over the parchment she'd spent the past three hours working on. The fact that he had merely been joking about the whole thing was what ticked the orange-haired navigator off.

Luffy rubbed the swelling bump on the back of his head and pouted as he looked over at Nami. "I was just practicing for when we do see a new island..."

"You are just going to get everybody all riled up over nothing, and then I get distracted from my work because you decide to be an idiot. Honestly, you haven't changed the slightest after two years."

"Not true!" Luffy argued as he jumped off the railing and landed firmly on the wooden deck. "I'm much stronger now!" As if trying to prove a point, he held up his arm and flexed his muscles proudly with a grin on his face. "See?"

Nami merely waved her hand back in forth in front of her unimpressed face. "Big whoop. You're still an idiot."

Chopper and Usopp chuckled as they nodded in agreement, and even Brook joined in as he walked over, his bony fingers expertly strumming the strings of his guitar. "Now, now Nami-san. Let's all sing, shall we?"

"Look! A girl!"

SMACK!

"Luffy! Stop it!"

Luffy shook his now double-lumped head as he pointed over to the left side of the ship. "No, there is actually a girl out there. Look."

Chopper dashed towards the direction Luffy was pointing, and poked his head out from underneath the railing. "There really is a girl! She's unconscious and looks like she needs help!" the small doctor squeaked out.

Nami quickly walked over and gasped as she saw an inanimate young woman with a bag lying on a piece of wood. She was soaking wet and ghastly pale.

"Usopp, go tell everybody on the ship what is going on. We need to get her on here and make sure she's ok." Without a second thought, the long-nosed sniper nodded his head in confirmation before taking off. Nami looked over at Luffy expectantly, knowing full well that he knew what to do. As if confirming his Navigator's thoughts, he stretched his arms out and grabbed onto the floating debris so he could pull it closer to the ship before he stretched both legs down onto the jagged chunk of wood. Carefully, he wrapped her in one of his arms and placed her bag over his other shoulder. He elongated his free-hand towards the ship's railing and slingshot them both upwards and onto Sunny's verdant deck.

As Luffy lowered her to the floor, Sanji spun out of the kitchen with hearts in his eyes. "Oh, where is this lovely princess?" he cooed in a love-struck voice, heart-shaped smoke puffing out of his cigarette. Robin followed behind him, looking quite curious as to what was going on. Franky made his way out from below deck and gave the slumbering Zoro a kick while passing by. The green-haired swordsman grunted and opened his good eye, wondering what all the commotion was about. He yawned as he forced himself to stand up and walk over to where everybody else was standing.

"Do ya think she's dead?" Luffy asked, earning a glare from both Sanji and Nami.

Brook crouched down, his long legs nearly poking Chopper in the process. He set his guitar down and placed two fingers over the woman's wrist for a moment before he shook his head. "Oh no, she most certainly is not. Trust a dead man on that one! Yohohoho!"

"It might be best if we get her changed and into a bed," Robin suggested, her cerulean eyes studying the girl's face very carefully. "I think she is just tired, but I also don't know how long she's been floating out there. Depending on the circumstances she was in, she could very well have a cold." The Archaeologist looked up at Franky with a kind smile. "Mr. Shipwright, could you please carry her down to my and Nami's bedroom?"

Franky widely grinned and showed a thumbs-up. "Yosh! Sure thing!" He bent down and gently scooped her up, before he followed Nami and Robin into their bedroom.

"Aw, I wanted to be the Prince Charming," Sanji dramtically whined as he fell onto his knees.

Zoro merely gave a snort. "You wish, stupid love-cook."

As the two proceeded to argue, Luffy jumped onto the ship's prow and continued to look out for a new island as if nothing had happened. Chopper headed down to his doctor's office to gather the tools needed for examination, and Usopp decided to continue fishing. Brook just stood in the same spot, a low hum escaping his mouth.

"Ah, this seems like inspirational material for a song! Yohohoho!" Feeling confident in his idea, the skeleton walked away, strumming notes onto his guitar as he waited for their guest to wake up.


	3. Introductions

_**Updated: 7/06/15**_

**Chapter 3: Introductions**

The moment Liara woke up she knew something was different. No longer did she feel cold and drenched from the formidable storm she'd just faced, but instead felt dry and safe. A sense of panic flew through her as she quickly came to the conclusion that she was lying down in a stranger's bed, wearing clothes that were definitely _not_ hers.

Her first instinct was to get up and run, but where would she go? She had no idea where she was, nor what awaited her outside the four walls that currently provided her shelter. She scanned her surroundings to get a feel for where she was, her eyes wandering casually around the chamber. The walls were lined with vertical wooden panels, and the floor covered with coral carpet. Placed precisely in the middle of a wall was a pink makeup table with a mirror in the center of it. Two identical ivory bureaus were symmetrically placed next to each other, and in front of the them was a modest square table with two scarlet lounge chairs. The room seemed rather cozy, and had a strong feminine feel to it.

"Oh hey, you're finally up!"

Liara's thoughts had been so preoccupied with checking out the room that she didn't even notice the person sitting on the right side of her; a woman with long orange hair and light-brown eyes was looking at her with a warm smile.

"It's about time you got up. You've been out for several hours."

_"Several hours..."_ Liara blinked a couple of times, trying to fight off the headache that was slowly starting to spread behind her eyes. "Might I ask where I am?" she nervously asked, her hands clutching the top of her blanket.

The woman grinned and nodded. "Sure! You are currently in my bedroom, aboard the world-famous Straw Hat Pirate's ship, the Thousand Sunny!" She said it all so proudly that Liara couldn't help but wonder if she had heard things right.

"The Straw Hat Pirates? As in, the ones led by Monkey D. Luffy?" She'd overheard her parents talking about the Straw Hats before, mostly in disbelief on how they'd taken on the World Government and grumbling over the trouble the group of nine seemed to be causing the other Marines.

"You got it. I'm Nami, by the way. I share this room with Robin, the Archaeologist in our group. I'm this ship's Navigator. Anyways, where were you going? We found you floating on a piece of wood with just a bag and a big bump on the back of your head."

Liara winced as she touched the back of her skull, her fingers trailing over a considerable-sized lump. _"No wonder my head hurts..."  
><em>

Before she could answer the Navigator's question, the bedroom door, which was placed not too far from the foot of the bed she currently occupied, suddenly opened, and in walked a tall woman with lengthy raven hair and bright azure eyes. She gave Liara a polite smile as she closed the door behind her. "Good afternoon. Dinner will be ready soon. Are you hungry?"

The sudden growl emitting from Liara's stomach answered the question, her face flushing in embarrassment. _"Dinner? No wonder she was so hungry...she'd missed breakfast and lunch!"_ The woman, who Liara assumed was Robin, let out a short chuckle over the reaction. "I'll certainly be taking that as a yes. Would you like to come down and say hello to everybody?"

Liara shyly nodded. "Sure. It's only fair since you've all taken such good care of me so far. Oh, and I'm Liara."

"Robin. A pleasure to meet you. You're welcome to stay with us as long as you'd like. I think it's best you eat and rest a bit before deciding what to do."

Nami followed Robin to the door and placed her hand on the doorknob as she waited for Liara. "Sorry that I changed you without asking, but we figured we'd do it before those wet clothes made you sick."

Their new guest promptly pulled the blankets off and stood up, her legs feeling shaky and unstable. She glanced down and saw that she was wearing a long, ebony halter top and baby blue flare pants, both of which perfectly fit her figure. She thanked her lucky stars that decent people found her instead of another pirate group that would've probably thrown her into a cellar. Appreciating the care of her rescuers, Liara flashed a grateful smile and accompanied the two women outside.

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The Straw Hat Pirates were some of the most feared and infamous pirates on the Grand Line. Known for their superb teamwork and declaration of war towards the world government, they had painted Liara a rather fearsome image. Even as she trailed behind Nami and Robin up to the deck, she felt herself growing more and more apprehensive. Sure, the girls had been friendly, but what about everybody else? Had they fought her parents before, and how they would feel about rescuing the daughter of two Marine Admirals? She gulped and stepped onto the deck, preparing herself for the worst.

"Guys, this is Liara. Please try not to make asses of yourselves."

Nami's announcement nearly caused Liara to trip over her own feet._ "Was that an actual okay thing to say?!"_

A petite reindeer, a man with a long nose and clown-like features, and another man who wore a straw hat over his jet black hair appeared to be engaged in a game of tag; all three were running around and laughing like children. Their playing ceased to a complete halt after Nami's broadcast, and they enthusiastically sprinted forward to meet the person they had retrieved. A case of nerves overcame Liara, so she stepped behind Robin, unsure as to what she should say.

"Oi! It's about time you're awake!" the young man with the straw hat, who Liara could only assume was the world famous Straw Hat Monkey D. Luffy, jovially laughed. "We're playing tag! Wanna join us?"

"Now, now Luffy, she just woke up!" the reindeer admonished. "She still needs plenty of rest!"

"Yeah, but she's been sleeping for the past six hours!" Luffy childishly whined. He blinked and stretched his neck out to look around Robin and get a better look at Liara, who squeaked in surprise. "Hey, why are you all quiet and hiding?"

"Probably because you're scaring her!" The long-nosed man scolded with an eye roll before jabbing a thumb into his bulky chest. "By the way, I'm the great Captain Usopp!"

"I'm Dr. Chopper!" the reindeer professed in a high pitched adorable voice that quickly melted away Liara's fears.

"And I'm Luffy! I like meat!"

Nami pushed her captain away with an annoyed huff. "Nobody cares, idiot."

No longer feeling so nervous, Liara casually stepped out from behind the Archaeologist and respectfully bowed her head. "Nice to meet you. I'm Liara. Thank you for rescuing me."

Chopper jumped up and down excitedly. "Hello Liara! Let me know if you don't feel good, okay?"

"What about me?! I'm the Captain!" Usopp argued, only to be met with a growl from Luffy.

"No you're not! I am!" The two of them tackled each other and began rolling around the ship while Chopper ran around in a panic until Nami forcefully grabbed both of them and pulled them apart. She punched them both on the head, earning groans as they collapsed onto the grassy deck and began laughing. Liara watched the scene in disbelief until she was pulled out of it by Robin's hand on her shoulder.

"You'll get used to such displays very shortly. Here, let me show you everybody else," the older woman suggested. She began walking around and pointing at people, with Lira following close behind and trying to memorize the names.

A muscular man with a scarred eye, green hair, and three swords attached to his side was sitting with his back against the mast and snoring loudly. Funny how the infamous Roronoa Zoro appeared to be just like everybody else, regardless of his frightening reputation.

A blonde man with a dark goatee, curled eyebrow and mustache practically skipped out of the kitchen the moment he saw the brunette through the circular kitchen window. Sanji was indeed charming and quite good at flattering, even causing her a blush as he knelt down and held her hand, but she wasn't sure if she was really the "angelic princess of beauty" he claimed to be searching for his entire life.

When Franky was introduced, he let go of the helm for a moment so he could pose and address Liara as Liara-sis. She found him humorous and the fact that he was a cyborg who ran on Cola to be quite interesting, not to mention how impressive it was that a push of his metal nose could change his azure hair into a numerous amount of different hair styles.

And then there was Brook. He stood off to the side, strumming on his fish-shaped guitar and humming to himself. He gave a gentlemanly bow when Liara and Robin approached, causing her to have to strain her neck in order to look up at the skeleton who had to be at least nine feet tall. Robin politely introduced their guest.

"Liara, hmm? A pleasure to meet you. I am Brook, but you might know me as the Soul King." He chuckled proudly and strapped his guitar onto his back, unaware of the blank stare Liara was giving him. _She had never heard of Soul King. How was a skeleton even talking?_

"Might I ask you a serious question?" the skeleton inquired.

_It was going to be where she was from, wasn't it? _She bit her lower lip and placed her hands behind her back. "Okay...sure."

Silence echoed around the ship for a moment before Brook tilted his head to the side a little. "Might I see your panties?"

Out of all the questions she'd expected him to ask, that had been the furthest thing from her mind.

Her face turned crimson as she grew flustered and threw her hands out in front of her, as if she was trying to keep him from walking any closer to her. "N-no! You can't!" she stammered as she quickly shook her head in protest. Nami's fist suddenly came out of nowhere and landed against the Musician's skull, causing him to flip backwards and hit the railing with a painful sounding crash. Feeling worried, Liara peeked around Nami's protective stance to make sure he was alright. Much to her surprise and amusement, he was laying on his back with his lengthy legs stuck up in the air and laughing as if he'd heard the funniest joke.

"Yohohohoho!" the skeleton belted out, his jaw moving up and down to accommodate his laughter. Liara let out a sigh of relief that he was at least okay, though how he wasn't hurt after such a powerful punch was beyond her. Still, she couldn't help but feel the corners of her lips curl upwards at the skeleton's laugh.

Nami glanced over at the brunette with a raised eyebrow. "Hey, don't let that pervy skeleton freak you out or get to you okay? Just go ahead and kick his ass if he bugs you."

Robin giggled to herself, obviously amused by all the clamor. On that notion, Sanji took a protracted drag on his cigarette before flicking it into the ocean. "Oi, dinner is ready you shitty bastards," he announced in a gruff tone while addressing the men. His expression fully transformed when he wiggled over to the ladies and stared fondly at them, his pupils transforming into pounding hearts. "My dears, your dinner is ready for you! Please, follow me!" he cooed out before speeding over to the door and holding it open for them.

Liara seemed slightly hesitant, almost unsure if she should follow. A tug on her hand caused her to look down. A pair of large, innocent eyes stared back up at her. "This way Liara! Come eat with us!" Chopper so innocently suggested.

"Okay then! Please show me!" Liara felt her heart melt as Chopper pulled her forward, his small hooves clamped gently around her right hand. They managed to avoid being stampeded over by a running Usopp and Luffy, both of whom crashed into the kitchen door that Sanji slammed in their faces. Brook managed to reposition himself so he could stand up and follow everybody else, humming a catchy tune. Franky immediately followed, calling out to the still napping Zoro. With a groan and yawn, the swordsman stood up and tilted his head respectively towards Liara before he also walked through the door.

While watching the display, Liara came to the conclusion that the crew was different and unique, and although she had only known them for barely an hour, she could see that they were all good people. As the door shut behind her and Chopper let go of her hand, she found herself smiling fondly. Maybe being rescued by the Staw Hats was good luck after all.


	4. Song of the Night

**Update: 7/6/2015  
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**Chapter 4: Song of the Night**

Liara's father was an exceptional cook. She could recall being a little girl and hurrying to the table when dinner was announced, drool already gathering at the tip of her mouth. He never failed to amaze his wife and daughter with new recipes that were chock full of fresh ingredients and spices. For the longest time, Liara had thought her father to be the best chef in the world.

Boy, was she ever wrong.

Sanji stood at the head of the long dining table, placing down broad circular plates that were covered in food, along with tall glasses of wine, lemonade, tea, or whatever else anybody desired to drink at the moment. He took great care in preparing the ladies' dishes, making sure the portions were large and neatly decorated. The smell immediately intoxicated Liara's senses as the chef gracefully placed a plate covered with grilled fish and slices of garlic bread baked in butter in front of her. Next to that came a bowl of chopped onion soup that had the tiniest hint of basil and cheese visible, and a small plate of salad with shredded cheese, baked croutons, diced onions, small pieces of bacon, and chunks of fresh grilled chicken. Liara's eyes widened, the hunger pains in her stomach growing even more at the phenomenal sight.

"Please enjoy, my sweet Liara." Sanji gave a slight bow as he backed away to grab more plates.

Luffy sat on the opposite side of the table, a pout planted firmly on his lips. "No fair Sanji! How come the girls always eat first?"

Feeling a little guilty, Liara handed Luffy a slice of her bread, which he greedily grabbed after shouting a thanks. Nami shook her head and sighed as she bit into a piece of the salad.

"Don't do that, Liara. He actually ends up trying to eat all of our food. He's the reason we have a lock on our fridge," the Navigator warned before sending her Captain a death glare and continuing to eat her food. Taking Nami's warning to heart, she decided to also begin eating.

The food was amazing. The textures were heavenly, the taste even better. Nami was right, of course, about Luffy trying to steal everybody's food. His hand would stretch forward in an attempt to steal more bread or fish or whatever else his rubbery, greedy hands could grab. Eventually Usopp grew sick of his food being taken and attempted to stab Luffy's fingers with his fork, causing an argument to start. Liara grew concerned at first, but when she noticed that everybody else continued to eat like the occurrence was normal, she decided to also go along with it.

Once dinner was finished, she stood up and began gathering her silverware and dishware. She walked over to the sink, only to have everything taken out of her grasp by Sanji, who gave her a pleasant smile. "Thank you my sweet. However, please don't trouble yourself in helping. I do this every night, so go ahead and relax." Liara had always helped when it came to cleaning up, so she was a bit surprised at not having to do anything. Still, she nodded her head in appreciation and thanked him for the meal before returning to join the others at the table.

Robin, who was taking quiet sips from a steaming cup of coffee, leaned forward and propped her arms up on the table. "Miss Liara, might I ask where you are from and where you are going?"

Everybody in the room quieted down, focusing on their guest. She supposed that the least she could do for them was give them an explanation, especially after finding her in such a state in the middle of the ocean. She intertwined her fingers together and placed them on the table, her eyes glued down towards her hands for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. "I'm from Rosiv Island, which is a small island that not many know of. I have a dream that I want to make come true, but my parents were so against it that I ran away. The small boat I bought was caught in a storm and set on fire after being struck by lightning." At this, Liara nervously glanced up, knowing that she had to full-well tell them the truth. "My parents are Marine Admirals."

For a moment, nobody said anything. Looks were exchanged, and eyebrows were raised. With every passing second her nerves grew more and more restless as she mentally prepared herself for being thrown overboard. The silence was interrupted when Luffy suddenly burst out laughing. "Oi! Really? Do they know Garp, my grandpa?"

Liara was astounded. She'd expected dirty looks and to even be kicked off the ship, but nobody seemed upset. The fact that Luffy was laughing and didn't seem a bit angry greatly calmed her nerves. "You guys aren't even upset? I don't want you attacked or hurt if my parents try to find me."

Franky suddenly jumped on the table and struck a pose, banging his massive metallic forearms against each other. "Are you kidding? The Sunny-Go can outrun any ship, and has SUPA-cannons to boot! I say bring them on!"

Zoro also gave a grunt in approval, his hands placed confidently on the sheaths of his swords. Chopper and Usopp pumped their fists/hooves in the air while shouting out an enthusiastic "Yeah!" Robin nodded her head in approval and took another sip of her coffee, while Brook strummed happily on his guitar.

"Yohoho! My heart pounds in excitement, though I have no heart!" Sanji continued gathering everybody's dirty dishes, but he too was smirking.

Nami placed a hand on Liara's left shoulder. "See, you have nothing to worry about. We've taken on countless enemies, so defeating a few more marines won't be a problem. Besides, maybe your parents will come to their senses."

Liara doubted it, but wishful thinking never hurt. She smiled appreciatively. "Thank you everyone. I mean it."

Once the cheering had settled down, Robin decided to continue with another question."So, might I ask what your dream is?"

Liara glanced from side to side so she could see everybody's faces, trying to make a mental judgement on whether they would take her seriously or not. "I want to find Fantasia Island."

"Ahh, I've heard of that place," Nami murmured as she propped an elbow on the table and placed her chin on her palm. "My mother used to tell me stories about it when I was a child. It does sound like a beautiful island"

"I too, have heard of it," Robin chimed in. " Apparently it's a moving island that allows only those with pure souls to enter."

"Cool!" Luffy excitedly shouted as he jumped on the table besides Franky. "Let's find it!"

Once again, Liara found herself dumbfounded by their reactions. "You seriously aren't laughing at me? My parents did." Her cerulean eyes wistfully glowed.

"Liara, as long as you believe in your dream, then that's all that matters, right?" Sanji puffed out smoke and stuck his hands in his pants' pockets. "I have a dream to find the All Blue, and I've been laughed at countless times because of it. I know that it's out there though, and as long as I think it's real, then that's all that matters, right?"

Everybody around the table nodded in agreement, and Liara found herself filled with more hope than ever before. "You're right. Thank you."

[][][]

Night came not too long after dinner was over. It was decided that Nami and Liara would share a bed until Franky built a new one. As far as Liara knew, she was going to be with the crew for a little while, at least until she figured out what to do. Nobody seemed annoyed or irritated with her, so she figured that staying longer couldn't hurt. In fact, they practically insisted on it. Luffy had even asked her to stay with the crew permanently, which seemed a little sudden but was flattering nonetheless and something she was seriously considering. What did she have to lose?

Most of the crew had fallen asleep, and although Liara tried, she found herself tossing and turning and staring up at the ceiling. Robin's bed remained empty, and upon noticing was informed by Nami that the Archaeologist was probably in the library reading again.

_"She does it every night," Nami had said before turning off her bedside lamp. "Most of the time she doesn't go to sleep until well after midnight."_

Liara eyed the clock that was placed on the bedside table. Around eleven, and still not even a hint of feeling tired. Perhaps some night air would help? She quietly got out of bed and tiptoed over to the door. Glancing back at Nami's sleeping figure, she sighed with relief that she hadn't woken the Navigator up. She carefully turned the door knob and opened the door, closing it quietly behind her before walking through the small hallway and up the short set of stairs.

[][][]

The night air was pleasant, with a pitch-black sky that was splattered with stars and a glowing full moon. She walked over to one of the railings and looked out, feeling tiny and in awe when she saw how dark and extensive the sea was. She was so caught up with what was in front of her that she didn't even hear the sound of footsteps coming up from behind her.

"Ahh, I didn't think you would still be up."

She quickly turned around saw only Brook, whose bones seemed to glow in the darkness. The skeleton raised his hat politely before setting it back down on his afro. "Can't sleep?"

She shook her head and looked back toward the ocean. "I feel a little exhausted, but I can't keep my eyes shut. You?"

The skeleton walked forward so he was standing next to her, his boney fingers lightly covering the top of the railing. "Night watch. Tonight is my shift. Besides, skeletons don't really need to sleep."

"I see."

There was somewhat of an awkward silence between the two, though it wasn't really unpleasant. A moment passed before Liara looked up at Brook, a bit of curiosity getting the better of her. "How are you a skeleton and moving?" She bit her lip the moment the words left her mouth, hoping she wasn't being rude.

Luckily, Brook only chuckled, clearly not offended. "I ate the Revive-Revive fruit, which is a Devil Fruit that allows one to come back from the dead. After death, the soul must find the body to become alive again. Unfortunately, by the time I found mine everything had decayed except for my hair and most of the clothes I was wearing."

"Why did it take you so long?" she asked, feeling rather intrigued.

"It's very difficult to navigate through the fog of the Florian Triangle. I'm lucky I was even able to find my body. Unfortunately, I was the only one alive. My crew and I were killed by poison arrows." His jaw seemed to form a grin. "We were a musical pirate groups. All we did was sing, dance and play music. Before we all died, we sang our favorite song together for the last time. I recorded it so I can play it back for my friend Laboon when we see him, and I keep this afro so he'll recognize me."

"Who is Laboon?" A part of Liara felt guilty for prying into the skeleton's business, but she couldn't help but wonder about his past. She was a naturally curious person, and knew the questions would only continue to bug her is she didn't at least attempt to ask.

Brook glanced out towards the dark sea; Liara followed his gaze and watched as the gentle black waves rolled slowly and licked the sides of the anchored ship.

"He is a friend to the Rumbar Pirates, the crew I belonged to before I joined the Straw Hats. He is a whale who was only a baby when we first found him. He seemed to love listening to us play, and for some reason he and I were especially close. However, we wanted to go to the Grand Line, and Laboon was still such a small whale at the time that we didn't want to endanger him. We promised him we'd meet him again, and 52 years later, he is still waiting for me, or so I've been informed." He looked at the young woman next to him, expecting her to be startled over the fact that he was friends with a whale. Much to his surprise found her looking up at him with a gentle smile on her face.

"What a wonderful and strong bond you two have," Liara sighed. "I admire that quite a lot. I've never had a friendship like that before." She continued to smile, but her eyes were filled with sadness. Brook stared at her for a moment before reaching out and placing his hand gently on her shoulder. The move was startling at first; his bones didn't feel cold, but warm and gentle. There was a certain firmness and strength involved in his touch, almost as if muscle was placed around his bones. It was a move that would've freaked out a lot of people, but Liara found herself appreciating his gesture.

"You can have that bond with us...with me. You can be our nakama and we can travel all over the world together."

"I'm seriously considering it. You're all so wonderful." She glanced away shyly. "Thank you."

Silence once again enveloped around them, and Liara felt herself starting to succumb to the desire for rest. She was about to excuse herself when she heard a low voice singing.

_**"Yo-hohoho, Yohohohoo"**_

She rapidly blinked and slowly turned her head.

_**"Yo-hohoho, Yohohohoo"**_

She looked at Brook, her lips parted in surprise.

_**"Yo-hohoho, Yohohohoo"**_

_** "Yo-hohoho, Yohohohoo."**_

His voice was quite memorizing.

_** "Going to deliver Binks' Sake!**_

_** Following the sea breeze! Riding on the waves!**_

_** Far across the salty depths! The merry evening sun!**_

_** The birds sing as they draw circles in the sky ! "**_

The song seemed like a happy one, but Liara could feel sadness laced within it.

_**"Farewell to the harbor, To my old hometown**_

_** Lets all sing out with a Don! As the ship sets sail**_

_** Waves of gold and silver dissolve to salty spray**_

_** As we all set sail to the ends of the sea"**_

The sound made her heart ache. She had a feeling that this was last song he had shared with his crew.

_** "Going to deliver Binks' Sake!**_

_** We are pirates sailing through the Sea!**_

_** The waves are our pillows, The ship our roost**_

_** Flying the proud skull on our flags and our sails"**_

** "**_**Now comes a storm through the far-off sky**_

_** Now the waves are dancing, Beat upon the drums**_

_** If you lose your nerve this breath could be your last**_

_** But if you just hold on, The morning sun will rise "**_

Brook lifted his arms towards the sky.

_**"Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,**_

_** Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,**_

_** Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,**_

_** Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho"**_

This time, Liara hummed along.

** "**_**Going to deliver Binks' Sake!**_

_** Today, and tomorrow, our dreams through the night!**_

_** Waving our goodbyes, we'll never meet again!**_

_** But don't look so down, For at night the moon will rise!"**_

_** "Going to deliver Binks' Sake!**_

_** Let's all sing it with a Don! A song of the waves**_

_** Doesn't matter who you are, Someday you'll just be bones**_

_** Never-Ending, Ever-wandering, Our funny Traveling tale!" **_

_**"Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,**_

_** Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,**_

_** Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,**_

_** Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho." **_

This time, they serenaded the final verses together.

Time seemed to slow down as the two new friends continued watching the watery surface around them ripple and dance around in an almost hypnotic way."You know, I love to sing," Brook admitted as he placed an elbow on the railing. "But I love it even more when somebody sings with me."

Feeling embarrassed that somebody had heard her voice, Liara hastily looked away. She played with a few strands of her chestnut hair, twisting the curls around her finger tips. "I'm sorry if I was awful."

Brook laughed. "Yohohoho! Of course not! Actually, you have quite a lovely voice."

Feeling flattered, Liara gave him a large smile before yawning and turning away. "I think I'm sleepy now. Is it alright if I go to sleep?" This only seemed to amuse the skeleton.

"You're asking me? I may be 38, but I'm barely enough to be your dad."

"Well, your age now, including the skeleton years, is 90 right? That makes you old enough to be my great-grandfather!" She burst out laughing as his bottom jaw nearly fell off in shock.

"I most certainly am not! Do you know any grandfathers that have magnificent hair like I do?" He fluffed the bottom of his curls. They both shared another laugh as Liara turned away and bid farewell to the undead musician. Just as she was about to descend down the stairs, she paused and turned around. "By the way," she began, "that song you sang was lovely. I could feel joy and sadness coming from it. I admire you for being so strong."

Brook seemed quite taken back by the compliment. "Thank you for sharing that memory with me. Good night." And with that, she disappeared below deck, leaving him bewildered. _He hadn't expected that at all_. His gaze was once again returned to the ocean, and as he sang the song quietly once again to himself, he felt the tears spill out of his eye sockets and onto his cheek bones. "I'm not that strong," he whispered into the night.


	5. Nakama

**Updated: 7/14/15  
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**Chapter 5: Nakama**

When Liara was roused from her slumber the next morning, she was secluded in the room. Robin's bed had been tidily made, and Nami had neatly pulled the sheets back on her side. Liara wearily attempted to rub the sleeping dust from her eyes as she gazed over at the digital clock on her bedside table.

Ten thirteen glowed back at her in scarlet edged lines.

_"I bet breakfast is being served. I should get up too,"_ she thought with a yawn and stretch before forcing herself from out under the bed sheets. After dressing herself in a pair of navy-blue capris and a black tank top that had been laid out for her on one of the chairs, she walked out the door and up to the deck, which was completely devoid of any of the Straw Hats. As she ambled closer towards the dining room, she perceived the tone of laughter. The corners of her mouth bent up over the jovial harmony.

The moment she entered, she was instantaneously greeted with an assortment of "good mornings". After politely returning the greeting, she headed over to a barren seat placed between Nami and Brook, nodding her head and smiling to both of them. Breakfast seemed to have just initiated, as only Robin and Nami had received their plates so far.

"Good morning, Liara my love!" Sanji affectionately sung out with a twirl as he placed a plate that was covered with french toast, bacon, sausage links, and banana slices in front of her.

"Good morning Sanji!" Liara cheerfully replied, pleased that she hadn't arrived too late for breakfast. Luffy extended his arm out to grab her sausage link, but whimpered and pulled back as she swatted his hand away on reflex. Her eyes widened in shock at her unintentional action. Everybody stared at her in surprise, and for a moment she almost felt like she'd be thrown off the ship. But when everybody burst out laughing and even complimented her on putting the captain "in his place", she found herself giggling along with everybody else.

After breakfast had concluded, the crew split up and went their own individual ways. Liara, being the most recent member on the ship, had absolutely no concept on where to go, so she simply went and stood on the lush emerald deck for a bit. The day was serene, with clear sapphire skies and a placid breeze that tickled her skin as it caressed her. As she viewed the glimmering waters, she found herself contemplating on what her parents were doing. _How furious were they? Did they even care that she was gone_? An abundant current of remorse washed over her, and as she bent over the railing to get a better glimpse of the sea, she found herself once again speculating if she picked the proper choice. In her heart, she believed that she had, but her intellect was telling her that maybe she could've endeavored to at least confer with her parents again. The more she thought about it though, the more she realized that there was absolutely no way they would've accepted her proposal. What kind of parents laughed at their child's ambition anyway?

"Hey Liara!" She turned around and saw Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp standing there with paper and pencils in each hand. Luffy gave her a lively grin. "Want to draw with us?"

It had been a long time since somebody actually desired to do something enjoyable with her. While growing up and in school, she'd frequently feel alone and secluded from the rest of her class. She'd keep to herself and sketch pictures of Fantasia Island or just read. Very rarely did she speak to anybody because she never saw the need to. All she wanted to do was study and get good grades so her parents could be proud of her, and proud they were. A lot of the kids ended up hating her because all they would hear at home is "Why can't you be more like Liara? She has the best grades in the school!" In a way, Liara couldn't blame them for hating her, but as she grew older, she realized the whole notion was just ridiculous. She ended up making a few friends, but eventually they left to pursue their own dreams and careers, leaving her lonely. Luffy asking her to join them in an activity had simply left her speechless for a moment, but as she saw them looking at her with excited smiles, she couldn't help but nod as her mouth turned upwards into a grin.

"I'd love to!" she exclaimed, much to the boys' delight. In a way, they were rather surprised since Robin and Nami never joined their games.

"Awesome!" Luffy shouted, causing Liara to giggle as she followed them to the center of the deck. She sat down with them so they formed a square, and took the pencils and paper Usopp handed to her.

"So what should I draw?" she asked.

Usopp leaned backwards so his arms were supporting his body, and glanced upwards as if he was thinking really hard. "Each other?" he suggested, looking around the group for any signs of disapproval, none of which showed up.

"I'll draw Liara!" Chopper gleefully volunteered as he raised his meager hoof into the air.

"No way!" I wanted to draw Liara!" Luffy and Usopp both shouted in unison before glaring at each other. Liara felt rather astonished but dignified that they were all arguing over her. It was something she wasn't used to, but it made her feel good nonetheless.

"I think Chopper should draw me since he offered first." She nodded towards Usopp and smiled. "I like your nose. May I draw you?"

Usopp's eyes widened and his cheeks flushed with pride. "R-really? I'm always made fun of for it!" He pressed his thumb against his chest and smirked proudly. "Of course, I can't blame you. My mother did have a magnificent nose."

"Of course! It's a wonderful nose," she agreed with a chuckle.

Once the drawing began [ensuing excess pouting, it was decided that Luffy could also draw her], she felt herself unwinding and even having an enjoyable time. After about twenty minutes had elapsed, the minuscule group compared their work. The one Luffy had drawn of Liara looked like a toddler drawing with a pencil for the first time. Her head was pompous with squiggly lines meant to be her hair, and one eye was more emphasized than the other. Still, it brought a smile to Liara's face, and she was positively elated to accept the picture. Chopper wasn't a much better artist than Luffy, but he drew adequate for someone with hooves. Usopp was actually a rather skilled artist. When he presented his piece, the other three doubled over in laughter, as the Sharpshooter had decided to give Luffy a monocle and an immense mustache. Liara was a bit nervous to show her drawing, but once she did was immediately praised.

"Wow Liara! You're really good!" Usopp exclaimed as he took the drawing from her hands. Chopper and Luffy scooted closer to the Sharpshooter so they could get a better look.

"How cool! Are you an artist Liara?" Chopper asked as he stared up at her with stars in his eyes. Feeling bashful from all the praise, Liara glanced down and twiddled her thumbs.

"Not really. I used to draw a lot growing up, and I guess the practice helped."

Brook, who was just leaving the kitchen after assisting Sanji with the dishes, decided to stride over and see what was going on. " How wonderful!" Brook bent down and bobbed his skull in approval as Usopp turned around to show the musician Liara's picture. "Very nice indeed, Miss Liara. Perhaps you could draw me next."

"No way! I wanted her to draw me!" Luffy whined, and eventually Chopper joined in too. Once Liara had agreed that she would draw all of them soon, they all let out frivolous cheers before becoming disinterested in the situation and and deciding to play Spoons. Zoro shuffled by and turned down their proposition to dally in their game, insisting he'd rather climb up to the crow's nest to work out instead. Usopp and Luffy asked Nami to play, but were kicked out of the room with a threat of increased debt. Fortunately, Franky came up to take a hiatus from his project and decided to also join their game. Robin lay reading a book nearby on a lounge chair, her blue orbs scanning the gathering with interest and amusement.

The game ended up becoming competitive. Brook and Luffy could grab the spoons with ease due to being able to conveniently have reach. Chopper became paranoid of Usopp cheating and peeking at his cards, while Franky and Liara played the game as normal people would do, making sure to keep their eyes glued to the spoons in case Luffy or Brook made accelerated movement. The game was animated and provided some of the best entertainment she'd ever experienced.

Right when their third game was about to come to a closure, Luffy suddenly upsurged with a thrilled shout and bounded over the railing. "An island!" he whopped with delight, his knees bent as he hunched over on top of the lengthy pole of wood.

Usopp and Chopper rushed forward, inwardly wondering if Luffy was perhaps lying again. Fortunately, an island was in sight, and from the way hefty buildings were grouped together it looked like an extensive city. Nami sauntered out of the library and Robin set her book down to get a better look, while Zoro wiped veins of sweat off his body and headed down to join everybody else. Sanji strolled out of the kitchen, puffing on his cigarette and examining the unfamiliar island with interest.

Liara felt herself becoming eager as she joined the others. Never before had seen another island up close before. To see a city extending like a hastily grownng plant as the Sunny-Go neared closer was exhilarating, to say the least. She stood on her tip-toes and smiled so wide that her dimples showed. She felt like a little kid again . She was so focused on the sight that she didn't even notice Robin, Sanji, Nami, Franky and Brook looking at her and smiling over how thrilled she seemed.

"We should probably go in that way," Franky advised as he gestured a thick finger towards the left side. The rest of the crew followed his gaze and noticed that he was pointing to a tunnel concealed behind a cluster of rocks. Much like Water 7, an obscure passageway was being used by pirate ships to avert exposure from the marines. Nami nodded in confirmation and directed Franky to steer the vessel.

The Thousand Sunny easily entered into the steel tunnel, which had lights assembled along the walls to navigate the way into the Pirate docking area. Franky steered the ship with ease, emerging from the tunnel in no time at all. The anchor was released into the water with a resounding splash after finally identifying a satisfying space to dock, and the sail was lowered.

"Alright everybody, we need to pick groups to split up into," Nami announced as the other crew members gathered around her. "Any suggestions?"

"The Doctor and I can head to the bookstore," Robin offered, much to Chopper's pleasure. He enjoyed shopping with the Archaeologist because they both had such a deep love for books, and she consistently seemed to be amused by him. Nami nodded in approval before handing Robin and Chopper a wad of money.

"Anybody else?"

"Long-Nose and I can explore the hardware store," Franky suggested. As before, Nami authorized the idea and gave them Beris. Liara was uncertain who to go with, as she'd only been with the crew for a day and had never been to a metropolitan before. She found herself feeling apprehensive as Nami studied her.

"Liara, why don't you go with Brook? If you're going to stay with us, then you should learn how to fight. He can help you find a weapon."

"_A..weapon?" _Liara felt rather edgy._ "What weapon could I possible be good at using?" _Her eyes enlarged as Nami placed a bulk of money into her hands. "I do appreciate this, but are you sure you trust me? After all, you hardly know anything about me and my parents might send the Marines after us and-"

"Liara, it's okay," Nami interrupted as she placed both hands on Liara's shoulders. "We trust you."

Luffy walked forward, his straw hat casting a large shadow over his eyes. For a moment, Liara was worried that he might be angry with her. However, when he looked up at her and gave his childish grin, all doubt and worry departed from her in an instant. "You're nakama, dummy. So what if we've known you only a day? Hell, I asked everybody on this ship to be my nakama when I barely knew them; some I asked the moment I met them."

A few chuckles were heard, along with murmurs in agreement. Brook affectionately placed a hand on Liara's head with a gentle pat. "You should stay with us! I need somebody to sing with at night again!" He ignored the others' confused and curious expressions.

After a few seconds of silence and anticipation, Liara smiled, feeling fully confident of her decision. " Alright! I accept your offer to be the newest member of the Strawhat Pirates!"


	6. A New Place

_**Sorry for the late delay guys! School sucks, but luckily college exams and projects are over. I'm also turning 22 on the 14th, so I'm pretty excited. Probably just going to bowl with my boyfriend and some friends. I've also been playing Skyrim like crazy and trying to figure out what to get everybody for Christmas. Working more hours is also not giving me more time to write this story, though I am enjoying the paycheck! Anyways, more exciting things should be happening soon so remain patient. I basically have everything all planned out, and by next chapter I should have a picture of Liara uploaded onto deviantart so you guys have a good idea of what she looks like. [My user name is amam2217.] Enjoy! **_

**Chapter 6: A New Place**

**[Music: To the Spacesport; Treasure Planet]**

The Straw Hats made their way off of the Thousand Sunny, each standing with the person they would be walking around the island with. The only one who remained aboard the ship was Zoro. He had volunteered to do guard duty, stating he'd much rather explore the town at night so he could check out the bars. Apparently this satisfied Nami, as she clearly explained to Liara that the swordsman was directionally challenged and would probably only fall asleep and be annoying anyway. [Luckily she didn't see Zoro mouthing the word "bitch" in her general direction.]

The small circle of friends stood near the ship , talking amongst themselves about what they would do with their money while Nami wandered off for a moment to gather some information. Liara still felt awkward about all the beris she currently had in her pocket, but was also feeling excited over all the possible things she could do or buy on the first island she'd ever visited. Her eyes scanned the city, eventually landing on a large sign that said "Welcome to Sea Breeze Island". She had to admit that the name was absolutely lovely, and fit the place quite nicely. Her thoughts refocused as Nami approached and declared that the Log Pose would reset in 5 days, which gave them a decent amount of time to explore the new island.

"There is a firework festival scheduled to take place the night before we leave, which I wouldn't mind seeing,' the Navigator added before making sure her log pose was securely fastened to her wrist. At the mention of this, Usopp and Luffy wrapped their arms around each others shoulders and marched around excitedly while kicking their legs up and yelling out "Fireworks! Yahoo!"

"Be warned that there is also a Marine base here, so watch yourselves," Nami warned. "Liara, you're a pirate now, which means the Marines are your enemy. Let's just hope none of them know who your parents are and spot you."

Liara nodded her head in understanding, feeling nervous and yet a tad thrilled to know she now had enemies. "Luckily, my parents didn't really introduce me to their coworkers, so I should be okay. I'll make sure to be careful though," she promised.

"Yay! Let's go!" Luffy yelled as he pumped a fist in the air, anxious to get moving.

"Alright!" Franky, Chopper, and Usopp shouted in unison.

As the group waved bye to each other and walked their own separate ways, Liara found herself standing in the exact same spot without budging an inch. She honestly had no idea which way to walk first, as there were so many buildings and sights surrounding her. A water fountain with two curved fish at the top spouted beautiful sky-blue water into its base, which was currently being sat on by couples and families who were either talking or throwing in coins. Buildings of different heights and width loomed over the city, with signs that flashed different colors to draw attention. It was almost overwhelming.

Brook stepped forward and stared down at the new Straw Hat, his boney finger poking her gently on the shoulder. "Liara?" he asked, wondering what could possibly be going through her mind.

Aqua eyes traveled upwards to meet an empty pair of concerned eye sockets. "I'm alright. I've just..." her eyes glanced around as a smile lit up her face. "...never seen so buildings and people before."

The skeleton chuckled and motioned Liara forward. "Let's go. I've never been to this island either you know!"

Giggling with excitement, Liara rushed forward and together the pair began their new adventure on Sea Breeze Island.

[][][][][][][]

Liara dragged Brook to several shops, not to buy anything, but to see everything that she could. Brook felt amused by how child-like the young woman appeared. The two even started goofing off in the shops. While in a jewelry store, Liara came across a pair of large, blue diamonds that sparkled magnificently under the sunlight that poured in through the shop's colossal windows. Not being able to help herself, Liara carefully picked up the two jewels and placed them in front of her pupils. Both of them laughed as Brook took them from her and placed them in his eye sockets, giving the illusion that he had diamonds for eyes. The two of them were practically howling in laughter as they forced themselves to leave under the shop owner's intense glare.

Eventually the duo came across a weapon shop. Swords and guns of all shapes, sizes, and colors were placed neatly along the walls; gunpowder and cleaning oil were stacked neatly on lower shelves. Liara carefully followed Brook towards the back of the store, doing her best to avoid all the impressive looking [and even intimidating] customers who were carefully analyzing the merchandise.

After winding their way through the aisles and looking at different swords and guns, Brook suddenly stopped and pointed upwards. "What about this one?" he asked, his finger indicated towards a sword that wasn't too long but not too short either. Liara had to admit that it was quite nice looking, with a large rose etched professionally into the center of the handle. However, there was a part of her that worried about whether she would even be able to pick it up.

"Do you think it might be too heavy for me?" she asked, her eyes remaining glued to the weapon in front of her.

Brook reached upwards and easily grasped the sword. "Tell me how this feels to you," he said as he carefully placed the weapon into her hands.

The moment Liara held the sword, she felt balanced, and could practically feel a spark in her finger tips. It wasn't really heavy, and the way it shone and felt just captivated her. It was so beautiful that she felt her mouth drop open in pure shock. Something was special about this sword, and she knew at that moment that no other weapon would feel so perfect to her. As Brook carefully watched her facial response, he found himself smiling, as that was the same look he knew he'd had upon receiving his first weapon.

He bent down a bit to get a good look at the price, which to his relief wasn't that high. Nami would be thrilled!

"Shall we buy it then?" Brook asked, even though he was certain of the response.

With eyes as wide as saucers, Liara nodded and looked up at Brook with a smile on her face. "Yes! I would love to!" she happily said, her eyes darting back to her new sword. It was a sweet smile, one that could melt anybody's heart. Brook was no exception to the fact, even though a heart no longer functioned inside him. He watched Liara with gentle eyes, and decided to then and there to take her under his wing, er arm, and make her a remarkable warrior.

Sword polish was grabbed on the way to the registers, which was "a necessity for any swordsman," Brook explained. After the purchase was made, the duo left the store feeling quite accomplished, though the excitement Liara felt at the moment absolutely amazed her. _"This...it's mine. My very own sword."_ She practically beamed at the thought, and almost regretted putting it away into its sheath. Even though she knew she wasn't the only person on the island with a sword, a part of her just wanted to show it off. As she continued to think about it though, she realized that while it was nice she had sword, she still needed to learn how to use it.

"I will help teach you how to use a sword, though only the basics. After all, a swordsman must put their own heart and soul into the sword." It almost seemed as if Brook was reading her thoughts, as if he knew exactly how she felt. Was her face really that traitorous to her emotions?

Nodding her head in appreciation, they both continued to walk, but not before Liara's stomach let out a loud gurgle. Both of them stopped, Liara's face red in embarrassment. Brook, however, only ended up laughing, and soon Liara also joined in. "I suppose it is lunchtime," the musician loudly noted after their laughter had subsided, noticing that the sun was pretty high up in the sky. "Shall we get something to eat then?"

They eventually came across a nice but inexpensive restaurant. Much to their surprise, the other Strawhats were also inside. Luffy and Usopp had plates piled on top of each other and cheeks so full that it was a miracle they didn't pop. The sight was amusing to Liara and Chopper, who snickered at the funny sight before them. Robin also seemed to smile, but it was obvious that her and everyone else in the crew were used to such disturbing displays.

Upon Liara and Brook's arrival, Sanji immediately jumped out of his chair and hurried towards Liara, where he held out his arm and looked at her with heart-shaped pupils. "Liara, my dear! I'm so glad you could make it! Won't you allow me to escort you?" The look on his face was so hopeful that Liara couldn't find it in herself to turn down the cook's offer, though the table was only a few inches away.

"Of course!" Liara happily accepted, much to Sanji's delight, and took his arm. Brook followed and seated himself next to Franky, while Liara sat between Nami and Robin. She felt comfortable with the two women of the crew, almost already feeling like they were sisters to her. Growing up without siblings, Liara had often found herself feeling lonely, so just even the idea of being able to call somebody sister or brother was enthralling to her. Nami and Robin didn't at all seem bothered by Liara's presence, and in fact happily greeted her as she took her seat.

"Oi? Is that a sword?" Franky asked from across the table, his ginormous hand reaching upwards to push his sunglasses up in an attempt to get a better look. At the note, everybody looked over at Liara, leaving her no choice but to pull out her sword and show it off.

"Wow, that is gorgeous," Nami murmured as her fingertips lightly trailed along the sword's surface.

Robin murmured in agreement. "The material seems to be strong and reliable. Of course, I'm not an expert on swordsmanship like Mr. Bushido, but it does look very nice."

Usopp, who had finally managed to ease the swelling in his belly and cheeks, leaned forward across the table to examine the weapon even closer. "Looks like it'll slice nice. Good choice. Did you or Brook pick this?"

Brook raised his boney arm into the air, his suit cuff falling down his arm to reveal skinless wrists. "I did after we looked at several weapons, but Liara is the one who felt the connection with it." He nodded towards the brunette, who was smiling proudly and feel accomplished with her decision. If everybody else seemed to approve, then she knew that she had made the right choice.

The group once again split up after the meal, though this time Nami dragged Liara along to go clothes shopping. "If you are staying with us, then you need your own wardrobe!" the Navigator cheerfully exclaimed. What started as window shopping evolved into buying at least one outfit at every store. Nami seemed to be quite the shop-a-holic, along with being excellent at bargaining. Eventually the girls ran into Chopper and Robin, who agreed to join in on the shopping [although Chopper was forced to go into Heavy Point and carry almost everything.] Much to Nami's delight, she managed to find Franky and Usopp and force them to carry bags as well. [Apparently black mail had been involved.] After Liara gave her a confused look, Nami had merely replied with a wave of her hand and an evil smirk that said "Oh, don't worry about it!" and then motioned the men to follow her, which they did, but only with glares and sweatdrops on their faces.

After what felt like hours of shopping, the group arrived back on the ship to drop off all the bags, much to the men's relief. The women took the bags, with only Liara and Robin giving sympathetic and grateful smiles to the men who were now face down in exhaustion on the deck. Zoro had been sleeping, as usual, but he did burst out laughing when he saw how worn out his "manly" crew mates were.

The women were also tired, but the only ones who decided to nap were Liara and Nami. Robin decided that she probably couldn't fall asleep, so she headed off to the kitchen to brew a new pot of coffee. Nami snuggled up into her bed, while Liara relaxed in Robin's. Nami fell asleep in no time flat, her gentle breathing echoing across the room. Bags upon bags of clothing lay in a heap in a corner of the bedroom, as the girls simply weren't in the mood to put clothes away at the moment. Liara focused on the bags and their different colors and designs in an attempt to lure her to sleep, but no such luck came. Eventually the sounds of feet running on the floor above and the loud laughter of Luffy, Usopp, and Brook filled her head, and for some reason it caused her to drift off into a welcoming slumber.


	7. A Night Out

_** Yahoo! I finally got a picture of Liara done!**_**_ Search up amam2217 on deviantart, or One Piece Liara_.**_** I think it turned out pretty decent. I honestly just wanted to give you guys an idea of what she looked like. I plan on putting pictures of Brook up too. I probably won't put up a picture of her and Brook together after another chapter or two because I really don't want to spoil anything. Thanks for the reviews, and I'm happy to say that a decent amount of people have also favorited this story! Thanks guys! The story will definitely be getting exciting in the next couple of chapters, so stay tuned! [Oh, and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!] **_

**Chapter 7: Night Out**

By the time Liara woke up, Robin was knocking on the door to announce dinner. As if on cue, her stomach rumbled. The nap had lasted only a couple hours, but it was still enough to give her plenty of energy. Glancing across the room, she noticed that Nami also seemed to be just waking up. Both girls yawned in unison and stretched.

"Sleep well?" Nami asked with a tired smile. Funny how she could seem so threatening and demanding to all the men, yet appeared innocent and childlike after only waking up from a nap.

Liara nodded and returned the smile. "I did, actually. I guess I'm not used to walking around so much," she finished with a quiet laugh.

Nami grinned. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it after being with us a while longer. I go shopping at every opportunity I get, but you gotta be smart about it. There are some morons out there who try to charge a ridiculous amount for simple products, but I luckily have the sex appeal _and_ charm to change their mind." Somehow Liara didn't doubt Nami's words.

They both headed upstairs to join everybody else for dinner. Sanji greeted them in a lovey-dovey manner as he usually did, and served them and Robin first, much to the irritation of Luffy and Usopp.

After dinner, Nami stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "Okay guys, I found this interesting-looking bar while in town earlier called The Sea Witch. Anyone interested in going tonight?"

Zoro leaned back in his chair and placed his hands lazily behind his green head. "I'm in, but this better not be some shitty dump."

"How dare you disrespect Nami like that! Eat your words, shit-head!" Sanji yelled as he lunged forward with a kick to Zoro's head.

Zoro smirked and blocked the kick in an instant as he yanked his swords out. "Try and do something, dumbass!"

Luffy clapped his hands and laughed while everybody else rolled their eyes. Nami smacked both the chef and the swordsman on their heads, causing them to fall over. "Shut-up you idiots!" she practically growled out before turning around and forcing a sweet smile. "Anybody else interested?"

Brook stood up and adjusted the hat on his head. "I shall like to go. After all, some girls might just show me their pan-"

"No way you perv!" Nami snapped as she landed a kick onto Brook's face. Liara glanced nervously at the three men sprawled out on the floor before looking back up at the fuming Navigator. Boy, Nami could be scary...

Luffy raised his hand up and gave a Cheshire-like grin. "Oh! I wanna go!" he excitedly shouted.

"Fine." She looked over at the Sniper and Doctor. "Are you two going?"

Chopper declined by saying he had some new medical books he wanted to study, but Usopp stated that he wished to go as well.

Robin smiled and tilted her head forward. "I shall also like to go." Nami nodded in approval before looking at Liara. "Wanna come along?"

It took Liara a moment to think it over. She hadn't been to a bar before, as she'd never seen a reason to go. Now that she was with some friends, however, the idea was new and appealing. "I'd love to," she replied with a smile.

"I'm staying here. Somebody needs to watch the ship, and I'd much rather drink Cola anyways," Franky announced as he crossed his massive arms over his chest. And with that, everybody left to get ready.

[][]][][][][]

The eight pirates left the Sunny chatting excitedly. Nami, Brook, Robin, and Liara had changed their clothes, though it had taken a suggestion on Nami's part for Liara to even consider the idea. "You might catch a man's attention," Nami had advised after emerging from the women's bathroom in a mini-pink skirt, tall black heels, and ruffled white shirt. It was a notion that Liara had never really given much thought to, as the thought of "catching a man's attention" wasn't something she really focused on. After seeing how Robin and Nami looked so eye-catching with a change of clothes and some makeup, Liara decided that trying to look nice for a night out probably wouldn't be such a bad idea. Her hair had been swept up into a bun by Nami, and her eyes, eyelashes, cheeks, and lips were now gently coated with the appropriate makeup. On top of that, she was wearing a blue, sleeveless top with a pair of black jeans and dark blue high heels. Needless to say, she looked much older and was absolutely astounded by what she saw.

"Wow! You look great!" Nami had complimented, obviously proud of her work. Robin smiled and nodded. "Very nice, Miss Liara. Quite lovely." Feeling slightly embarrassed from the compliments, Liara bowed her head, said thanks and quickly left the room, hearing only the soft sound of chuckling behind her.

Now, Liara was looking around in absolute awe at all the glowing signs and lights that brought the city to life. She stood next to Brook, who hadn't said anything, but was impressed by the transformation Liara had gone through. Of course, he found her lovely even without having the makeup on, but now there was more of a womanly side to her that had captured his attention. He made sure not to stare in case she caught him looking. Besides, he should be trying to spot other girls wearing skirts in case a breeze blew by and revealed some underwear.

The walk to the Sea Witch wasn't very long, but Liara's heels were already aching from the unfamiliar shoes._ "How Nami can wear these things all day is beyond me," _she mentally complained to herself, admiring the younger woman's grace and tolerance.

The moment the entrance doors were open Liara's ears were immediately filled with loud music and talking. She shuffled closer to Nami so she didn't get lost as the group filed in. People were on the dance floor laughing and dancing around, or sitting at the bar or small tables eating and drinking with friends. She bit her lip in an attempt to not laugh as she saw an older intoxicated woman with messy hair doing the chicken dance in the middle of the dance floor while everyone around her stared or laughed in amusement.

Eventually the group arrived at a circular table that had booth-type spread around it. Liara was squeezed in between Brook and Usopp.

A young woman with long scarlet hair and a short black dress came up to the table and held out a note pad. "Hi, welcome to the Sea Witch. Can I get you all started off with a drink or snack?"

"Onion rings, please," Usopp piped up with a satisfied grin on his face; it was something he'd been craving for a long time. The server quickly scribbled the order down and looked back up expectantly. Everybody else put their orders in except for Liara, who wasn't really feeling hungry but wanted to try drinking

"Nami, what do you recommend?" she finally asked looking across the table without an idea in mind.

Nami thought about it for a second before glimpsing at their server. "Get her a Smashed Seagull," the Navigator loudly said so her voice could be heard over the music. Satisfied with the order, the server nodded in confirmation and left, while Liara slightly raised a brow.

"What is a Smashed Seagull?" she asked in curiosity, not finding the name appealing at all.

Nami grinned and propped her elbows on the table. "It's like Vodka, but doesn't taste as strong and has more of a fruity flavor to it."

Liara nodded in understanding, glad that the drink would at least have some flavor in it, but was anxiously wondering what it would exactly taste like. She didn't have to wait long to find out, as their server returned in only a matter of minutes with the drinks balanced perfectly on a silver tray. Much to Sanji's pleasure, Nami reached into her cleavage and pulled out a few beris, which was handed over to the slightly disgusted server, though she accepted it anyways and quickly walked away.

Liara glanced at her drink for a moment, taking in the bright green color that shone through the glass. She finally took a sip of it, and immediately a fruity sensation flowed through her taste buds. "Wow, this is really good!" she exclaimed before taking another sip. In no time at all she had finished it and was practically begging for another one while Robin slowly drank her Bloody Mary and smiled.

"Hey, don't drink those so fast," Usopp cautioned as he picked up an onion ring that had been delivered only a moment after the drinks arrived.

"Oh Usopp, relax. Let her have fun." Nami said. "She probably hasn't gone out drinking before." And with that, another Smashed Seagull was ordered, which Liara happily accepted. _"I'll just have a few more of these,"_ she thought to herself. _"After all, I don't see how I can get drunk just from these small glasses."_

[][][][][][]

"Your nose is soooo long!" Liara exclaimed with a giggle as she leaned into Usopp. The Sniper sighed and continued to munch on the large basket of cheese fries that he was sharing with Luffy, despite how hard it was to get a piece when the rubber man was stuffing almost all of them into his face at once.

Robin had left to go back to the ship, and Zoro and Nami were surrounded by a large group of people at the counter as they engaged in another drinking contest. Even though it was around eleven o'clock at night, the place was still packed. Eventually a man walked across the small stage that was set up towards the back of the dance floor, his long brown hair placed neatly into a ponytail and a small goatee donning his chin. The music ended and the man stepped up to the microphone. "Goooood evening ladies and gentlemen! How are you all doing tonight?"

A loud cheer erupted from the crowd. "Wooooo!" Liara bellowed as she attempted to kneel on the seat, only to fall into Usopp again in a mass of giggles as Brook snickered at Usopp's pleading glance.

"Tonight we're inviting anyone from the audience to come up here and sing a bit for us. Whaddya say? Ya'll up for some karaoke?" The crowd cheered again, clapping and holding shot glasses up in the air.

"Alrighttttt! So, who would like to come up here first?" the man asked as he scanned around the room. Hands shot up into the air, some involuntarily by pushy friends.

A few people eventually were chosen to sing; some were decent and others were terrible.

"Ahhh! Booooo!" Liara and Luffy crowed obnoxiously with their arms linked and thumbs down. They were now sitting next to each other as Usopp had decided to get up and go see who was winning the contest between Zoro and Nami. [Mostly to get away from Liara constantly falling into him and making fun of his nose.] Brook 's hands kept flying up to the side of his head in an attempt to block out the unprofessional singing, until he remembered that he had no ears and would lower them back down.

Finally, Brook had had enough, and raised his hand up high. "No way! Is that Brook, the Soul King!?" the announcer broadcasted into the mic, causing all heads to immediately look to where he was gesturing. Excited screaming and shouting echoed throughout the club as Brook stood up and made his way onto the stage, with Liara and Luffy loudly cheering for him.

"Yohohoho! It's so wonderful to see you all, though I have no eyes!"A lot of the audience members laughed at this, including Liara, who had attempted to stand up to get a better look but only ended up falling onto the table, much to Luffy's amusement.

A guitar was handed to Brook by the announcer, and the song automatically begun. The whole room went silent for a moment as Brook strummed a few notes, which suddenly grew faster and louder. The song was one he'd sang quite often while on tour, so most of the people in the crowd were singing along. It was unfamiliar to Liara, so she just listened while Luffy raised his hands up in the air and quickly waved them around.

Once the song was over, everybody erupted into applause. "That was awesome!" Liara called out as Brook as he struggled to make his way back to the table through the thick crowd.

"Ahahahaha thank you, Miss Liara! I'm glad you enjoyed it!" Brook cheerfully responded after finally sitting down. He looked at the bar and saw Zoro and Nami surrounded by shot glasses, barely tipsy, and each with a concentrated expression on their face. Knowing them, it could go on all night.

"I'm gonna go see if Usopp wants to walk around," Luffy announced before standing up and taking off. Brook waved his Captain off while Liara attempted to do the same, only to fall once again. This time, however, she fell right against Brook's chest, catching him completely off-guard. She look up at him and giggled, her face flushed from all the alcohol.

"I'm sorry, sirrr. I think I'm a little drunk," she slurred out before covering her mouth and cackling like she'd just the best joke.

Brook sighed and patted her on the back, realizing what Usopp had to go through. At least they now knew that she had a low alcohol tolerance level.

"Eeeek! It's Brook!" Confused as to who was calling his name, Brook twisted his head and saw two ladies that looked like they were in their mid-twenties giggling and standing next to the table. Feeling flattered by the sudden attention, he bowed his head respectfully. "Ah,hello ladies!" he greeted. "Did you enjoy my performance?"

"Of course we did! We love you Brook!" one of the girls exclaimed; her long, black hair was straightened perfectly down her back, while her friend's hair was a blonde bob. The blonde frowned slightly when she saw Liara leaning against him and laughing. "Oh...is that your girlfriend?"

Brook glanced down at his drunken crew mate, feeling embarrassed and wondering who in their right mind would even think a skeleton could have a girlfriend. "Ah, no she's-"

"Yeahhh. I am actually." Brook's eye socket's widened in shock at Liara's interruption; he had definitely not expected to hear something like that. She drunkenly leaned past his chest and waved a pointed finger around. "And I better not see either of you crawling up on him, okayy? This is my guyyy!" Regardless of the fact that she was clearly not thinking straight due to the alcohol, he felt heat building up over his cheeks, thankful for once that he didn't have skin.

The two girls huffed in disappointment before walking away, but not before glaring at the brunette. Brook shook his head, knowing full-well that those girls were probably just stuck up and wanted to get attention. Probably a good thing they were leaving.

"They were nice, weren't they?" Liara asked with a smirk before leaning back against Brook, who was trying to gently get her off before anybody else got the wrong idea. Then again, being with an attractive girl like her wasn't entirely bad, was it? "I'm...sleepy," she whispered with a small laugh, and suddenly passed out against him

The skeleton once again sighed, realizing that Liara had definitely had too much to drink and should probably just go to bed. "Liara? Are you alright?" He poked her arm gently, but wasn't given a response. Great, now he had to get her out of here.

After thinking for a few seconds, he decided that he would just have to carry her back to the ship. He managed to roll her onto the seat so he could stand up, and then carefully picked her up bridal style, making sure not to hit her head against the table while doing so. He had to admit that she was slightly heavy, but assumed some of the weight was probably due to her long and thick hair.

As he made his way out the door, he gave a nod to a slightly buzzed Nami, who responded with a wave to show she understood he was leaving before turning her attention back to an equally buzzed Zoro. Brook almost tripped over Usopp and Luffy, who laid sprawled out on their backs on the street in front of the entrance. "Ah, and what are you two doing?" Brook asked his relaxed friends.

"We just want to see if anybody will hit us while we're lying down. It makes star gazing even more challenging!" Luffy answered with a laugh, while Usopp grinned. He then blinked a couple times before quickly shooting up when he noticed Liara. "Ah! Is she sick?! Do we need Chopper?!"

"She's probably just drunk Luffy," Usopp pointed out.

"Indeed she is. Miss Liara seems to not be able to hold her liquor as well as Nami or Zoro," the skeleton clarified with a head shake.

Luffy burst out laughing and patted Brook on the arm before lying back down next to Usopp. "Liara is so fun! I'm glad she joined us!" He placed tucked his hands behind his head. "We'll let you know if somebody runs us over!"

"I agree. I'm glad she joined as well." The musician tightened his grip on the girl in his arms and gently shifted her around so he could support her better. "Well good luck with that," he encouraged as he continued walking towards the ship, navigating through the emptier streets and past now-closed shops. He finally reached Sunny-Go, with his arms half asleep. He trudged up the ramp, trying to keep his steps light and quiet in case any of the crew was sleeping.

Ignoring the smirk from Franky who was sitting on deck and sketching new designs by lantern light, Brook proceeded below deck to the women's room. Getting the door open was a slight challenge, but it finally managed to budge after a swift kick. Robin wasn't in the room, and Nami was, of course, still at the bar, which meant he would need to put her to bed all by himself. Luckily, a lamp had been left on so whoever was stumbling in at a late hour could at least make it to bed okay. The room now had three beds instead of two. Franky had probably made a bed for Liara while everybody else had gone out. A talented shipwright, to be sure.

Brook slowly laid Liara down on one of the beds, not exactly sure who usually slept where. She stirred slightly as the lamp's light, which was luckily not too bright, shone on her face. As she lay there with one hand over her stomach and the other sprawled out against the pillow, Brook found himself studying her facial features closely. She really was a beautiful girl, and the calm look she had on her sleeping face brought a certain prettiness to her that he'd never seen in another girl before. Her lashes were thick, her cheeks flushed against creme-colored skin, and her lips were parted. The light shining on her face and shimmering in her hair gave her an innocent and angelic appearance.

It took a moment for Brook to realize that he was staring at her, and just how creepy it really seemed. Besides, what if Liara woke up and saw a skull looking down at her? The thought sure freaked him out, and he was already a skeleton! He stood up and reached down to her feet so he could remove her shoes. Once the heels had been slipped off, he lifted her legs up only a little so he could pull the blanket and sheets from under her and cover her up with them, all while forcing himself not to peek beneath her skirt. He tucked her in, and even went as far as carefully pulling her bun apart so that her hair spread over her pillow and shoulders. Once again, he found himself hypnotized by the woman who lay before him.

Before he could stop himself, he began to softly stroke her cheek with his right thumb. Her skin felt so smooth underneath his hard and bony fingers that he felt like he was committing a sin just for touching her. Why was he even acting like this? He couldn't really recall feeling so interested in a girl, much less any person before. Why was she different from Nami, Robin, or any other woman he'd seen previous to this point?

He quickly stood up and reached over to turn the lamp off. Robin would probably find her way through the dark just fine, and Nami would be nowhere near as drunk as Liara, so no need for unnecessary light. When the glow had dispersed, he walked over to the open bedroom door and gripped the doorknob before he looked back at Liara's sleeping figure, feeling slightly confused. "Why are you so fascinating?" the skeleton whispered as he stood in the dark for a moment, listening to her steady breathing and wondering what she was dreaming about. He then shook his head and quietly closed the door behind him, leaving the room in total darkness.


	8. Touch

_** Sorry for the late delay; you know how holidays and stuff go. Anyways, winter semester starts Monday. What a bummer...I'm still going to keep trying to write though. I WILL FINISH THIS STORY! Anyways, it's this chapter when the story starts to get a little more exciting. Thanks again to all the awesome people who reviewed and favorited. Keep it up! : D**_

**Chapter 8: Touch**

Liara woke up the next morning feeling like her head was being split open. She slowly stood up and headed towards the bathroom to wash her face up and hopefully stop her stomach from feeling so upset. She winced at the bright bathroom lights, and groaned when she looked in the mirror and saw how messy her entire appearance was. Eyeliner and eyeshadow smeared over and below her eyes, and her hair stuck up at odd angles. "Well don't I look beautiful..." she muttered to herself before deciding that a shower at this point would be her best option.

After she was satisfied with her appearance, she stepped out of the room wearing a long light blue skirt and a dark blue shirt that was covered with a jean jacket. Although she felt a little better after the shower, her head was still pounding and her stomach was continuing to feel upset. The moment she entered the kitchen, the sound of laughter filled her ears, but this time it was unpleasant as it only seemed to be making her head feel worse. Nami gave Liara a sympathetic look in understanding and motioned her over to sit between her and Chopper.

"Hangover, huh?" Nami asked as she patted Liara's back gently, thankful that she herself rarely received them.

"Yeah...I guess so," Liara responded as she rubbed her temples in an attempt to lessen the pain.

"I see you're quite the light drinker," Robin stated with a smile. "I believe our Doctor might have medicine to help."

Chopper nodded in confirmation before hopping off of his chair and exiting the kitchen. Luffy grinned from across the table.

" Liara, you're such a funny drunk! You made fun of Usopp's nose!" And on that note, he burst out laughing and flicked the Sharpshooter's long nose.

"Dammit Luffy!" Usopp yelled in annoyance as he rubbed the new red spot on his distinguished facial feature.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I honestly don't even remember doing that," Liara quickly apologized with guilt evident in her voice. Usopp waved her off and told her not to worry about it, but she still couldn't help but feel awful. "I actually don't really remember what happened at all last night," she added in embarrassment.

"No problem, Liara- sis! Brook here made sure you got back safe and sound. He carried you back here, ya know!" Franky enthusiastically pointed out as one of his large hands smacked Brook's back. The skeleton's head nearly fell off at the strong contact, but he quickly sat up and moved his head around to make sure it was still screwed onto his neck. Once he was positive that no body parts had been lost, he looked over at Liara, whose mouth and eyes had widened in horror.

"O-oh you did? I'm so sorry about that. Thank you very much." She bowed her head in gratitude before looking back down at her plate and poking her food at how awkward she felt. Brook himself felt stiff about the whole situation, so he decided not to even bring up the way she had declared herself as his girlfriend in front of two strangers, knowing that the other members would only joke about it and embarrass him and Liara even more.

"Ah, it was my pleasure madame," the skeleton responded with a tilt of his hat. "Anytime."

Chopper bounded back into the kitchen at what Liara thought was the "right time" as her cheeks had turned bright pink from Brook's offer. "Here you go Liara!" the Doctor cutely said as he hopped back onto his chair and held up two yellow pills, which she gratefully accepted.

After Liara's headache had almost disappeared, she decided to once again explore the island, as there were still a few days left and she knew that there were still parts of the island she hadn't seen yet.

"Why don't I go with you so we can do some training with your sword?" Brook suggested after Liara announced her departure. She nodded in agreement and headed back into the bedroom to obtain her sword, emerging back on deck only seconds later. Brook decided to wear something less noticeable to not draw attention from the Marines, though not noticing a skeleton in broad daylight was already quite a challenge.

"I actually like this look a lot more." Liara motioned her hand towards the slightly tattered suit that the skeleton was now wearing, which happened to be the same suit he had worn when he died.

"Why thank you Miss Liara," Brook politely said as he adjusted his top hat firmly on his afro, feeling quite pleased at the compliment. "I do have a much easier time fighting while wearing this old thing. It still flatters my figure quite nicely, though my bones are the only figure I have!"

It wasn't a creative joke, and even Chopper, who was also preparing to return to the city with Usopp, booed. Liara giggled, but only because it was such an awful joke that she couldn't help but laugh.

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The city was even more crowded that day, which Liara could only guess was because the fireworks' festival was drawing closer. If it wasn't for Brook being so tall, she probably would've lost him by now as they attempted to weave in and out through the crowds. Brook suddenly threw his arm back, his hand reaching towards her. She merely stared at it for a moment before looking back up at him curiously. "So we don't get separated," he explained before quickly facing forward. She shyly reached out and took his hand, which wrapped around hers right away. It was an odd thing, holding hands with a skeleton. His hands were hard due to there being no skin to cover his skeletal structure, but it felt soft and gentle at the same time, and even quite warm. In a way, it really felt no different than holding hands with a human. She bit her lower lip as her cheeks flushed.

He expertly led her through the streets, his tall height giving him full advantage as to where they were going. Liara allowed him to pull her through, her eyes never once leaving his figure in case they were somehow pulled apart. After what felt like several minutes of full-on crowd avoidance, they both seemed to arrive at the end of the city. The buildings shrunk and the number of people drastically grew smaller. Eventually the two arrived at a large forest that sloped upwards into a hill. Tall trees loomed overhead, creating large shadows all over the forest floor as sunlight danced through the leaves above. Various bird whistles were heard, along with the gentle rustling of tree branches being caressed by the surrounding ocean's breeze. It was quite a calming atmosphere, and even Liara's nerves of not being able to use the sword very well began to dissipate.

"Ah, quite a lovely change of scenery." Brook let out a relaxed sigh; Liara murmured in agreement.

"Any idea where we should train?" the young woman asked as the forest walk continued, her eyes darting around to try and take in all their surroundings and admire the jade beauty around them.

"I found the perfect place yesterday," Brook responded as he kept his attention forward before suddenly stopping and looking down and discovering that their hands were still linked. Liara hadn't really noticed, for the feeling had simply felt normal after a while. However, the situation seemed to grow more embarrassing the longer they stared their hands. Their hands disconnected once the silence grew awkward, jerking their hands apart and hiding them behind their backs, lowering their heads to focus on the ground.

"Ahem, anyways, the area is right over here..." Brook's voice drifted off as he looked around in front of him for a moment before proudly exclaiming an "Aha!" Liara peeked around him and saw a small area that wasn't covered in trees, thus providing enough room to practice sword movements. On top of that, there was a nice view of the town and ocean.

"Wow Brook, this really is nice," Liara complimented, clearly impressed that he'd managed to find such a great spot. She stretched her arms upwards and released a content sigh. She found herself nearly stumbling backwards as she saw Brook pull out his sword from what appeared to be a cane. There was something beautiful about the way he had drawn it out though, captivating his partner's blue eyes in the process.

Brook slowly lowered his sword and looked her right in the eyes. "Now, draw out your sword."

The nervous feeling returned once again. Taking a deep breath, Liara drew her sword out as well, trying to look just as graceful as the creature before her. She held out her sword the way Brook did, and looked at him for the next instruction.

He seemed to study her for a moment before taking a step forward. "Liara, the secret to wielding a sword is to have a calm spirit while keeping an open mind about your surroundings and how you can use them effectively against your opponent. Also, know that the point of swordsmanship is not offense, but defense. You shouldn't merely use a sword to go around killing people, but if you are defending yourself, then that is a different matter."

Liara nodded her head in understanding, following along and listening carefully to every word he said.

"Now, before we engage in a duel, it is important to show proper respect to your opponent. We bow." And with that, Brook bowed his head towards Liara, who politely returned the gesture. "Good," he said, with what seemed to be a skeleton smile. "Raise your sword up, but don't grip the handle too tightly, or else you'll easily cramp your hands." Once again, Liara followed his example, making sure to copy his movements as perfectly as she could.

Suddenly, Brook swung his sword forward, catching her completely off-guard. Luckily, she managed to raise her sword upwards in the nick of time to block off his attack. "Yohoho! Good!" The skeleton peeked down at her from above their clashing swords before pulling back and swinging forward again. This time, he aimed for her right side. Unfortunately, Liara wasn't sure how to block it, so she gave a little gasp as she felt the handle bumping against her hip. Somehow, Brook had managed to quickly flip the sword so he was holding the blade [which of course didn't really hurt him, as he was a skeleton with no flesh to cut]. He didn't want to actually hurt her, after all.

"Clear your mind and keep your eyes on the opponent," Brook advised as he slowly circled her. "Also, loosen your grip on the handle. You command the sword; it does not command you." Nodding her head to show she understood, Liara took another deep breath,loosed her fingers' grip, and attempted to clear her mind, her eyes not leaving Brook for a moment. When he went to strike her left side, she quickly swung her sword down and successfully blocked his strike. "Very good!" he proudly declared. "Excellent!" He pulled back and tilted his head with a grin, as if declaring a challenge. "Now, let's try this some more!"

[][][][][][]

About an hour had passed by since the training began, and already Liara felt like falling over. Some sweat had begun to gather at her brow; the early noon sun not helping in the slightest. Her fingers were beginning to cramp up, regardless of how hard she tried to not grip the sword. Still, she had to admit that she wasn't as bad at using a sword as she initially thought she'd be. Brook also seemed to be impressed at how well a first-time user liker her was doing, claiming that even Zoro might be intrigued by how decent she was at blocking.

"You look tired, Miss Liara. Shall we stop for the day?" Brook suggested after another one of his attacks had been successfully blocked. He'd swung at her from almost every angle, each time finding himself more and more surprised by how quick her reflexes were. Of course, she was by no means fantastic at sword-wielding, but she did seem to be making excellent progress. He could see she was exhausted though, and decided that perhaps stopping might be a good idea. No sense in going overboard, after all. [Unless the person training was Zoro, of course.]

Liara exhaled in relief and sheathed her sword before nearly collapsing onto her back on the ground, with her arms, legs and hair spread out. Brook chuckled at the display before sheathing his own sword and sitting beside her. For a moment, neither one said a thing, enjoying the sunlight and the occasional breeze that blew upwards from the Grand Line. Liara closed her eyes, not even bothering to wipe the sweat that had managed to slide down the side of her face. She could hear her heart pounding against her ribcage as she took deep breaths in an attempt to calm it down. She curled her fingers up and back out to get rid of the knots she felt near her bones. Her eyes opened. _Bones..._

"Brook, can you feel anything? I mean...physically," she blurted out before she could stop herself. She curiously looked up at the skeleton, who had twisted his head to look at Liara, wondering why she was even asking. Of course, it didn't bug him in the slightest, but he still couldn't help but think of what possibly brought it up.

"I do, but usually nothing pain related. I am already dead, after all." He gave a small laugh, causing Liara to sit up straight and bring her knees up.

"I apologize if I'm being rude..." she began to say before Brook quickly shook his head.

"Not at all, not at all. It's just that others usually don't ask questions about me being a skeleton and what it feels like. I actually have to think about it...though I have no brain." He once again laughed, and this time Liara joined in. Once the laughing had stopped, he decided to continue. "I don't really feel pain. I've even had my head chopped off before, but I merely had it pop right back on." Liara's eyes widened at this, but she didn't interrupt. "I can feel if water is hot or cold, and I can still get goosebumps. I can cry and even feel the touch of another." At this, Brook looked at Liara for a second before quickly looking away. For some reason saying that around her had made him feel a bit shy, something which usually didn't happen with him. As he continued to look away, Liara found herself looking at his hand and then back up at him. For some reason, she just really wanted to hold his hand again, to feel the touch of his bones against her flesh. He made her feel safe, and it really had been warm. If she'd done it with any other guy she would feel awkward, but that feeling didn't come up with Brook. She slowly reached out towards his hand, hesitating before slipping her hand into his.

"Can you feel this?" she quietly asked as her cheeks grew warm for the third time that day.

Brook was completely taken back when he felt her soft skin against his hard bones. He looked back at her and saw how bashful she smile she gave him was amazingly pure and sweet. Honestly, she looked so adorable that he wanted to take her in his arms and just give her a big hug! He returned the smile and gave her hand a squeeze. "Yes, I can."

Feeling suddenly embarrassed, Liara quickly stood up, giving a squeak as she realized she had nearly taken Brook's hand with her. She let go of his hand and turned around so he wouldn't see how red her face probably was. Brook chuckled and stood up.

"I was human too, you know. I understand emotions quite well." Liara turned around and stuck out her tongue before quickly walking away, with Brook following behind her as he continued to laugh.

The walk through the forest continued, and once again Brook was in the lead. Liara had stopped to let him walk ahead of her. When he had looked down at her, she had looked away and bit her lip, something she seemed to do quite often when she was nervous or shy.

Even though she knew her behavior was absolutely childish, she couldn't help but not feel angry at herself. Was there really anything wrong with having a friend that was male? Then again, did friends of opposite genders usually do stuff like that? The answer was probably no, but it was all Liara could think of to convince herself that nothing was happening between her and the skeleton. Besides, they hadn't even known each other that long to even consider feelings for each other, and she doubted he was even remotely attracted to her.

Liara was so deep in unfamiliar thoughts that she didn't even notice how far ahead Brook was of her. "Better not lose him," she whispered to herself when she looked up and nearly panicked at how far ahead he was. Just as she was about to pick up her pace to catch up to him, she felt a cloth roughly being pressed up against her mouth. In only a matter of moments, she began to lose consciousness. She reached her hands out to Brook, trying to call his name through the cloth before her hands were jerked and tied behind her back. The last thing she saw was Brook walking forward with a bounce in his step as he hummed, and then everything went dark.


	9. Gone

**Chapter 9: Gone**

**Music: Billy Bones- Treasure Planet**

Brook continued to walk ahead, his elongated boney arms placed contently behind his full afro. He hummed as he made his way through the forest with almost a skip in each step he took, feeling in a far better mood than he had felt in a long time. If he could stretch out his mouth, he would grin from ear to nonexistent ear, something that was certainly hard to accomplish with no lips and a skinless jaw.

It was after a moment of silence that he slowed down and realized that Liara hadn't said anything for a few minutes. Was she perhaps still embarrassed over holding his hand? He shook his head, still feeling quite joyous over the sudden interaction. So many years had passed since he'd last felt the touch of another human hand that he'd practically forgotten when the feeling of skin felt like. The warmth and softness he'd felt when their fingers pressed against each other was one he didn't desire to forget any time soon. He had the impression that although Liara was a young woman, she probably hadn't really had any affectionate gestures with another man before. Her lack of experience was adorable, and he absolutely couldn't resist teasing her.

"Come now, Miss Liara. Am I really that despicable to hold hands wi..." His voice trailed off as he turned around and realized that she was no longer behind him. Well, this was certainly unexpected. Where had she gone? He knew she had left with him, of that he was certain. Feeling slightly worried, he began retracing his steps and calling out her name.

"Liaraaaa! Miss Liara, where are you?"

No answer. As he continued walking, he suddenly heard a soft crunching sound beneath his wide black shoe. Curiously, he bent down and noticed that it was a note covered in little flakes of dirt and was written in nearly illegible handwriting, but he did his best to read it nonetheless.

_Skeleton,_

_We have the young woman with us. If you want to see her alive again, then you and your crew are to offer yourselves to the Marines. Failure to do so within the next 24 hours will result in her death. We will be watching._

Time seemed to come to a direct halt.

_Liara...had been kidnapped? Why didn't he let her go first? Why didn't he notice sooner? Was she okay? _He gripped his head in a panicked frenzy, trying to calm himself down to the point where he could think logically. Of course Liara would easily be taken! She barely knew how to use a sword, and she was one girl who probably wouldn't put up much of a fight. He gritted his seemed to engulf his entire body in an inferno of rage as he realized that one of his crew mates had been taken away from him, even when he'd been so close by!

As he began fuming, he suddenly noticed something odd placed near the bottom of the letter. Underneath the writing was a symbol of a Black Dragon. The symbol crinkled up as Brook squeezed the piece of paper in his hand, his eye sockets narrowing in anger. Who in their right mind would even think of hurting such a sweet girl?

"A man who wishes to die." He growled the words out like a dog whose territory was being threatened before angrily taking off in a sprint towards the Thousand Sunny. Whoever did this would not get away unscathed.

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Zoro sat on Sunny's deck with his back pressed against the wooden mast and his eyes closed as he began the process of having one of his afternoon naps. The only ones still on board with him were Robin and Franky. Everybody else had left shortly after Liara and Brook took off, which meant that he might at least be able to enjoy the quiet and get some shut eye before the others returned. He, for one, didn't really care about going into town. Besides, there were still a couple days left, and he honestly couldn't even think of what to do at the moment. Just as he was beginning to drift off into a peaceful slumber, the sound of somebody running up the ship's ramp awakened him. He opened his good eye and was about to complain when he saw Brook standing in front of him, panting.

"Li...Liara. Gone!" The skeleton shook his head and bent forward to place his hands where his kneecaps would be. He seemed absolutely distraught, and something told Zoro that something serious had actually happened.

"What are you talking about? What do you mean Liara is gone?" Zoro jolted awake and jumped to his feet, hands automatically grabbing the sheaths of his swords.

Brook straightened up and unclenched the piece of crushed paper from his hand, nearly thrusting it in Zoro's face. "Do you know who this is?" Brook yelled as he snapped his pointer finger against the paper. Zoro studied the symbol, his eyebrows lowering in thought. It seemed familiar, but no name was coming to mind. He also read the note, his eyebrows lowering in fury. They both looked at each other, seeming to share a mutual idea before they headed towards the library. If anybody could identify the strange mark, it was Robin.

The Archaeologist was in the middle of reading a book when the library door was slammed open. She set her book down, feeling slightly confused as to why the two men in front of her were practically radiating off anger.

"Robin, please tell me you know what this symbol means!" Brook asked as he held up the wrinkled pieced of paper. Robin's mouth opened slightly after reading the note, and her eyes narrowed once she saw the symbol.

"I do know them," she began as she reached forward and carefully took the note away from Brook, who seemed to be gripping it for dear life. She herself felt angry that her friend had been kidnapped and put in danger, but she was much better at controlling her temper. "This is the symbol of the Black Dragons. They are a well-known pirate gang. Their leader is Captain Lurg, a man with 22 billion beris on his head."

Brook's jaw tightened, his teeth mashed together. "I'm not going to let anybody hurt her. " Never before had the two of them seen the skeleton so angry, though they could definitely understand how he felt. Liara was their nakama now, and a kind person who didn't deserve any harm.

Robin stood up, crossed her arms in front of her chest, and cloned herself. Both of the Robins glanced forward, a look of determination on their faces. "Tell Franky. I'll alert the others."

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The sound of a creaking ship roused Liara awake. She weakly sat up and coughed a few times before rapidly blinking to try and clear the blurriness from her eyes. She attempted to move her hands, only to groan as she felt her wrists rub against some thick rope that had bound her arms together. Eventually everything cleared up, but as she took a glance around the room, she realized that she had no idea where she was. There was a door, two barrels, and not a dingle window. The only light she could see was coming from a crack underneath the door straight ahead of her. She tried to stand up, but only fell down as it became evident that her legs were also tied together. Her head was pounding with a heading, and her entire body felt stiff and sore.

"Where am I?" she whispered to herself. Goosebumps covered her skin, her heart pounding beneath her breast. She was terrified, but being scared wouldn't help her out of her dilemma. Right now, she had to figure out where she was and who had taken her. Of course, her sword was missing, so cutting herself out was out of the question, otherwise it would've been too easy. Her head bent down towards the floor as she wiggled her arms around to try and get loose. Unfortunately, the rope was wrapped pretty tightly around her thin wrists, and the more she moved the more raw she could feel her skin growing.

The door was suddenly kicked open, and a burst of light hit Liara directly in the face. She winced and looked away, giving a sigh in relief as the door was suddenly shut. As she turned her head around to face forward, she gave a small gasp. In front of her was a giant man with tan skin, black hair, and bulging muscles. He had a long golden earring in his left ear that hung down to his shoulder, and wore a loose black shirt and baggy, jade pants. Hanging off of a leather belt that appeared quite secure around his waist was an enormous gun that nearly reached the floor. Liara's nostrils wrinkled slightly as the smell of tobacco of booze emitted off of him. On his left hand was a tattoo of a jet-black dragon.

The man knelt down so he was at eye-level with Liara, and grinned. "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty! How do you feel?" His voice was deep, thick, and carried the tone of sarcasm.

Liara's eyebrows lowered, a sharp flash of anger and fear reflecting in her eyes. "Where am I?" she asked while trying to keep her voice steady. She didn't want to play this man's game. She had to get back to her crew before they worried about her! And what about Brook? He was probably wondering where she went!

The man burst out laughing, his large right hand grabbing her roughly by the chin. She grimaced as his disheveled thumb rubbed against the lower part of her face. "You know, most people would love to have a pretty girl like you around. I'm sure the men on your ship must miss you dearly." He laughed and shoved her face aside, causing her to fall back against the ground with a loud thump. He walked toward the door and turned around with an evil grin on his face. "I'm Captain Lurg of the Black Dragon Pirates, and I'm sure your parents and crew are going to try and find their sweet, precious girl. Too bad you'll be dead when they come for you." He roared in laughter before slamming the door shut, leaving Liara in the dark again.

She did nothing but lay there for a minute, the part of her face where he'd grabbed her felt sore. A tear slid down her cheek and landed on the ground with a small splat. She forced herself to sit up as more tears fell down her face. Never before had she felt so helpless and terrified. "Guys...Brook, help me." A whimper escaped her mouth, and all she could do was sit there and hope for a miracle. Her vision blurred from more tears as she realized she wanted nothing more than to hold Brook's hand and feel safe again.

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Two hours after Liara's disappearance, the Straw Hat crew was finally all on board the Sunny, but each one of them was absolutely ticked off.

"Nobody takes my nakama. I'm going to kick his ass." Luffy calmly said, venom dripping off his words. As he cracked his knuckles, Sanji lit another cigarette and slid it between his lips. The moment he'd heard the news, he had gone through cigarette after cigarette in an attempt to calm himself down. Brook had barely said anything, but it was obvious that out of everybody there, he was the most pissed off. Robin stood in the center, as she was the one who knew the most about the Black Dragons.

"I gathered some information while in town, and I have a pretty good idea of where the Black Dragons are hiding," Robin mentioned as she turned away to face the town. "There is a cove on the other side of the island that is hidden not only from the city, but from the Marine base as well. It's a convenient hiding spot. Somebody told me that they saw a suspicious looking man with a dragon tattoo over his left hand heading in that direction. The tattoo matches the one on the letter we were left." She turned around and saw everybody was impatient and ready to go.

Weapons were drawn out, Franky crushed a bottle of Cola in one of his hands. A little voltage of lightning seemed to be popping out of the end of Nami's Climatact rod. Robin was also eager to go, but a plan needed to be thought out. She smiled. "I have an idea, but it will require us to wait until later to move out." Clearly her suggestion about waiting was not satisfying, but as she leaned in to explain the plan, the Strawhats each smiled, seeming content with her idea.

Luffy stood there with his arms folded across his chest, a determined look on his face. He turned around and faced the direction they would be heading. "We attack at nightfall," he ordered. The rest of the crew nodded in agreement before splitting off to prepare.

Brook didn't move. He instead focused his attention in the same direction Luffy was facing. He stood tall and gripped his cane so tightly that he felt like his bones would snap off. "_Liara, we're coming for you! Hold on!"_


	10. Challenge

**Chapter 10: Challenge**

Nightfall couldn't have come any slower. For the rest of the day the Strawhats continuously paced back and forth, trying to keep themselves busy while anxiously waiting for the sun to set, the ship echoing with creaking floorboards and whispered cursing. Fire practically burned around Sanji's figure, as he simply couldn't stand the thought that one of his female companions was missing and quite possibly in danger. He was slightly angry at Brook for not protecting Liara, but also knew that the skeleton felt bad enough as it was, so he didn't bother saying anything.

Brook stood on deck, his gaze not once leaving the area where they were to proceed to that night. He knew that the whole thing was his fault, and while he wasn't one to get extremely upset or self-loathe, he was aware that if he'd just paid more attention to Liara while heading back then this predicament probably wouldn't have happened. Sometimes he would walking around, his eye sockets shrunk down into a glare that signaled he wasn't somebody to mess with at the moment. He would also pop his knuckles around, which looked far more disturbing when a skeleton did it than one who had skin on their hands.

Eventually dinner came, but it was silent. Sanji and Zoro didn't fight, and Luffy didn't even try to steal food. Brook only poked the food on his plate, not even bothering to eat until Nami placed a hand on his arm and gave him a caring smile. "She's strong Brook. She'll be okay."

Luffy swallowed a large piece of meat from across the table and grinned. "She is our nakama, after all. Only the very best for my crew!"

Zoro said nothing but confidently smirked, as did Usopp, Chopper, and Franky.

Sanji took a drag on his cigarette. "I believe in my Liara-swan, but I will definitely be kicking the shitty bastard's ass who took her away to begin with. She better be safe, or there will be absolute hell to pay."

Brook nodded and decided to take a bite of his shrimp to reassure his crew mates, but he still couldn't help but worry. Liara had barely used a sword before, and her captors probably took it away from her. She more than likely wasn't physically strong, so the only thing she could really do was be smart and not let herself be dragged down. With a swallow of his food, he wiped his jaw clean with a napkin before excusing himself and leaving the room. He would make sure that Liara was back safely by _tonight._

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Her stomach rumbled, and the only thing she'd allow herself to swallow was her spit. The aching in her head had increased, and her arms felt only more sore from struggling to escape numerous times. Once, somebody came in and dropped a tray of greasy, inedible looking food before her, before proceeding to slam the door shut after mumbling a few threatening words. Regardless of how loud her stomach growled, Liara refused to put anything in her mouth that they gave her. Even though she knew she wasn't the most intelligent person, she was far from being an idiot. For all she knew, the food could contain poison or more drugs, and that wasn't a risk she was willing to take.

Eventually the sun began to set, which only made the room she was in grow darker. Time was running out, and she had to escape; it was all or nothing. With a deep breath, Liara wiggled and rolled around, doing whatever she could to release her arms from the bonding ropes. Her face grew hot from the rapid movement and sweat began to gather at her temple, but she couldn't give up now. With a determined groan, her arms finally slid out of the ropes, the unwanted material dropping with a satisfied thump onto the floor. She gave a sigh of relief, but knew that now was not the time to sit and congratulate herself. She looked around the room, trying to determine her surroundings through the darkness. Her only light source was a glowing, yellow light that filtered through the bottom of the door, which meant a lantern was probably placed outside of the room somewhere. Feeling nercous, she slowly crept toward the door, only to freeze the moment the floor creaked from beneath her. She waited a moment before once again inching closer to her destination.

Liara again took a look around the room, trying to find something that she could possibly use to defend herself. The idea of her getting off the ship without any conflict didn't seem likely, and so far her options for a weapon weren't very great. The only thing she could see as being even remotely harmful was a large, wooden crate that was placed in the corner of the room; she hadn't even noticed it until now. Quickly, she tiptoed toward the box and wrapped her thin arms around it. Luckily, she was able to pick it up with ease, as it seemed no contents had been placed or left inside. Also, the box wasn't too large, so she was able to carry it without struggling. Once she had a firm grip on it, she placed herself beside the door, prepared to use it on the next person who entered.

Several minutes passed by. Nobody entered the room, nor walked by the door. Feeling a bit anxious, Liara quietly set the box down before shaking her hands around to get rid of the cramped feeling in her fingers. Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps grew closer, causing Liara to once again grab the box. The door suddenly creaked open, cloaking Liara in complete shadow.

Captain Lurg walked toward the center of the room, his fists clenched. "What the hell...?" he gruffly muttered to himself as he turned to looked around the room, trying to find his missing hostage.

Liara took a deep breath before quickly emerging from the shadows and slamming the wooden crate against the Captain's head. The blow was so strong that Liara nearly fell backwards before hastily regaining her composure. She lifted the crate again in an attempt to get in another strike, but Lurg was faster. He knocked the crate out of her hands and reached forward to grapple her. With a small gasp, Liara ducked and rolled out of the way to avoid the pair of meaty hands that were lunging towards her. She turned her head and saw the door was open; she decided to use this as an opportunity to escape.

Liara raced out the door and ended up on one of ship's side decks. With her heart pounding a mile a second, she ran to her left; her bare feet slapping on the wood flooring beneath her. She ran by several doors before reaching the main deck, only to skid to a stop as she saw a whole group of pirates armed with swords and guns relaxing in front of her. Goosebumps crept up her skin as she realized in horror that she was trapped. As the crew in front of her stood up and headed towards her, she felt herself panicking. She looked to her left and right quickly to consider the best route before finally settling her eyes upon the mahogany-colored railings surrounding her. An idea entered her head, and although it would be risky, she didn't have much of a choice. She ran towards the railing and began climbing over it. However, before Liara could catapult herself off the ship, a few hands grabbed onto her arms, hands, and even hair. She let out a cry as she was forcefully yanked over and pulled towards the middle of the deck; several swords and guns were pointed at her head, face, and throat.

"Trying to leave so soon, my sweet?" Lurg nastily cooed as he emerged from the direction of her prison, rubbing the top of his head from Liara's attack. Liara glanced upward, once again fearing for her life. It was obvious that she had ticked everybody off, and since they were probably planning to kill her anyway, it would be unsurprising if they decided to get rid of her sooner than expected. Lurg was soon face-to-face with his prisoner, who merely looked up at him with a challenging look. Unfortunately, her eyes gave away her fear, which only caused the man to mockingly laugh at her. "Sorry, but we still need you here," he said in a sarcastic voice before he grabbed her in one swift movement. Liara kicked her feet, but she was merely answered with more laughter as she was slung over the large man's shoulder. The crew that had held onto her only seconds ago put their weapons away and joined their Captain with mocking guffaws; a couple of men that reeked of an unhygienic stench followed behind.

Soon Liara once again found herself trapped in the confined and empty room. This time, however, she was placed on a wooden chair. Her arms and legs were tied around the legs and back of the uncomfortable seat, presenting a much greater challenge for escaping. Lurg laughed again as Liara found herself unable to budge, much to her humiliation. She glared as the foul man stooped down in front of her with an evil smirk. Suddenly, his hand flew across her face, emitting a slapping sound that echoed throughout the room. Liara's face was now turned towards her right, with a large, red mark evident on her left cheek and eyes widened with tears from the painful sting. At first, she said nothing, which seemed to satisfy Lurg. "Try it again, and it'll be worse next time," he threatened. As he turned to exit the room, he found himself stopping as he heard a mumbling sound behind him. Instantly he turned around with a raised eyebrow. "Eh? What did you say?"

Liara raised her head up and angrily looked at her captor. "I said..my nakama are going to find me and you can't stop them!" she declared through clenched teeth.

"Ha-humph!" was all Lurg said before he slammed the door shut behind him, uncaring about her meaningless words and empty promise. Once again, Liara was left in the darkness. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the pain. All she could think about was whether she'd be alive tomorrow night. Right now, she really needed a miracle.

**Thanks everybody for being so patient! I'm aware that it's been a couple of weeks since my last update, but school keeps me busy and I find myself easily distracted by video games. [Mainly Sakura Wars, Facebook apps., and Katamari Damacy]. Anyways, I'm still working on a new drawing to put on Deviantart so please keep a lookout for that.**

** Also, I did try to reply to everybody who reviewed, but some of you have a setting up that doesn't accept private messages. So, thank you to everybody who reviewed and favorited. : ] The fighting starts next chapter, which means it should be a decent-length and pretty eventful. Stay tuned!**


	11. Rescue

_**Yahoo! My new Liara and Brook picture is up on deviantart! -Cheers- It's titled Liara and Brook- Meant to Be. Finally this dang chapter is up. I haven't really written anything involving fighting before, so this was an interesting experience. Please leave reviews as so many of you have been wonderfully doing. Thanks! : ]**_

**Chapter 11: Rescue**

The bulbous ivory moon shone brilliantly in the midnight sky over the slumbering city below, with the only signs of life radiating from a few bars and dance clubs. With how peaceful the city was, few could even begin to suspect the fight that would take place in only a matter of moments. As the Strawhats stood in a circle on the Sunny's deck, Robin and Nami went over the plan once more, making sure that not a single detail was missed so questions could be avoided later. All nodded to confirm understanding the directions.

Brook suddenly raised his boney hand upwards like he was a student in the middle of class, the whiteness of his bones emitting almost a glow against the night air. "Pardon me, but I would like to suggest something," the skeleton declared.

The Straw Hats merely glanced at each other, wondering just what Brook had planned, and why it needed to be said at this very moment. Luffy crossed his muscular arms over his scarred chest and raised his head up so he was looking right at Brook's eye sockets. "What is it?" he asked in a calm voice.

The Musician stood upright without a single bone in his body bent or hunched over. "When we reach the ship, I want to be the one who runs forward and frees Liara."

At first nobody said anything as there were unsure on how to react. Nami raised an eyebrow, but Robin looked completely unsurprised at the request. A look of jealousy crossed Sanji's face. "I want to rescue the damsel!" he whined dramtically, nearly biting his cigarette in two.

Brook shook his head, his afro swaying from side-to-side. "I feel it must be me. It's my fault she was captured, and I want to be the one who gets her back so I can apologize and let her know that it'll never happen again." Such sincerity was spoken in his words that even Franky began bawling.

"Skull-bro, you-you get that girl back! You do it!" Waterfalls of tears fell from his eyes, earning looks of annoyance from Usopp and Zoro.

Robin smiled in approval. "I am fine with that. In fact, I find it quite understandable. What do you think Luffy?"

The rubber man grinned. "Shishishi! As long as we get Liara back, then I don't care who gets her."

Sanji quickly lit another cigarette with a huff. "Fine, but if he lets this happen one more time I'm gonna kick his boney ass straight to hell. Agreed?" He sent a look of challenge to Brook, who seemed to relax a little, but nodded with determination.

"I promise."

The corners of Sanji's lips twisted upwards before looking back at Robin. She had her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes closed.

"Any sign of them?" Nami asked.

The Archaeologist lowered her eyebrows as she concentrated. After a minute of silence passed by, Robin opened her cerulean eyes and nodded. "Yes, they are waiting at the meeting spot. Let's hurry." On that note, the crew formed into a single-file line and proceeded down the ramp, with Luffy taking his position as Captain and walking in front.

[][][][][][]

Miniature lanterns hung outside of houses, and tall lamp posts lit street corners, providing enough light to guide the group of pirates as they made their way down the quiet streets. Occasionally a drunk would wander around on the pavement, mumbling some sort of incomprehensible sentence while stumbling around with an almost empty booze bottle in his hand. The faint sound of dance music echoed through the night air for merely a moment before fading back into silence. The Straw Hats walked silently towards the back of the city, armed and prepared for battle against a foe they knew very little about. Before the actual fight, however, another obstacle had to be overcome, and hopefully in a peaceful manner.

Brook felt an enormous amount of mixed emotions; from angry to nervous to excited- it seemed so much more than what his skull could contain. He wanted nothing more than to take off and hurt the bastard who had taken Liara away from him...them. The thought nearly made him stop in his tracks. From him? Liara was most certainly not his, yet the idea seemed appropriate to him. Pushing all confusion aside, it was merely a thought that would have to wait until later.

The sounds of their footsteps echoed on the cobblestone street pavement, which to the Strawhats, was an alluring sound. It was a sound that showed that they walked together, not just as crew mates, but as a family. With each clicking sound, the determination of the group only grew stronger.

Eventually their destination was reached. They arrived at a barely lit street corner, where two tall figures stood side-by-side; their shadows reflected on the sidewalk. "So, I see you've agreed to help us. We appreciate it." Robin stepped forward and bowed her head slightly in gratitude.

The two figures also walked forward, but instead of returning the greeting, unsheathed their swords and raised them up; the moon reflected beautifully off their blades. The pair was a man and woman, and as they lowered their weapons slowly, the man moved his head around so his neck cracked, while the woman looked at the group in front of her with determination and anger burning in her eyes.

"Make no mistake, we still don't support your group or appreciate what you make our unit go through on a daily basis. We're only doing this for Liara. Now..." She popped her knuckles and clenched her fists. "... let's go get the bastard who has my daughter."

[][][][][][][]

All eleven figures moved quickly and silently to the Black Dragon's hideaway like trained assassins about to kill their target. They passed by broad moss-covered rocks and tall trees that prevented nearly any moonlight from entering the area through their thick branches. Eventually the sound of the ocean was heard, and weapons were drawn. Zoro stuck a sword between his teeth and firmly grasped the other two in tight grips while Sanji lit another cigarette and puffed curls of ashen smoke .

Finally, the boat came into view. It was large, but not quite as large as the Sunny. A few men were seen pacing back and forth on deck, probably on guard duty. Luffy, Merick, and Mina crouched near the front, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The others awaited their Captain's orders. All had agreed that Mina was to be given the privilege in beating the hell out of Lurg. Merick hadn't tried to stopped her, as he knew nobody would win in argument against her. His wife was strong and stubborn; once she had her mind set on something, she didn't back down. She did kindly agree to let her husband get a punch or two in, which didn't seem like enough, but he was going to make sure he put everything he had into those two hits.

**_Song: Senseikougeki~Kodou no volume wo ageru~One Piece Strong World_**

Luffy suddenly nodded his head towards one of the men, who had turned around and was facing the opposite direction. The rubber captain grinned, spun his arm around a few times, and threw his fist forward. "Gomu Gomu no Red Hawk!" he yelled as his fist hit the man and created an explosion.

At this signal, everybody charged forward . Sanji jumped upwards and used Sky Walk to propel himself towards the ship. After landing, he quickly lowered the ramp so the others could also get on. The other Black Dragon pirates began coming up from below deck, surprised by the abrupt thundering sounds. Mina and Merick unsheathed their swords and sprinted up the ramp, showing absolutely no mercy to anybody who crossed their path.

Zoro drew out one sword and shook his head in disapproval. "You small fry aren't even worthy enough to kill time on," the swordsman muttered in arrogance before slashing his swords across the air and cutting down the pirates in front of him one swift movement. His Yakkodori attack was powerful enough to send his enemies flying backwards and smash into the ship's wall, their arms covered with deep cuts.

Sanji's hands were placed palm down on the ground, while he spun his legs out and gave a nasty kick out to anybody who was foolish enough to be near him. Nami and Robin stood back-to-back, both of them using their own deadly moves. Robin formed an X over her chest with her arms, and in an instant nine arms sprouted out on several random Black Dragon pirates. "Nueve Fleur Twist" was all she said before twisting her opponent's upper bodies, the sounds of cracking bones echoing even throughout all the chaos.

The top on Nami's Climatact glowed blue as little statics of electricity crackled threateningly off of it. Heat and cool balls lifted upwards until they formed a dusk cloud. "Thunderbolt Tempo!" Nami triumphantly shouted as lightning shot down from the cloud and completely electrified her targets.

Usopp stood at the front of the ship with his Kuro Kabuto armed and ready. He pulled it back and closed one eye to take aim, his tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth in concentration. "Midori Boshi: Humandrake!" Pop Green scattered all over the ground at his opponent's feet. At first nothing happened, so the Black Dragon pirates exchanged confused looks with each other, having no clue as to why the strange long-nosed man in front of them looked so smug. However, as they began to move closer to Usopp, the roots of the Pop Green lifted upwards, causing the men to fall backwards and yell in surprise. Franky jumped over next to Usopp, struck a pose, and then opened his mouth to release a large fireball. It shot out and hit the fallen men dead-on, with not even a hint of flame touching the ship.

Chopper and Brook stood close-by, fighting their own little group of pirates. Chopper had morphed into his newest form, Kung Fu Point. He used his new strength to roughly knock down his attackers. As they lay there stunned, Brook jumped upwards with his sword drawn out, and propelled himself downwards with his Gavotte Bond en Avant attack. As his feet made contact with the deck, he didn't slice any of the fallen men, only knelt down so his sword was placed threateningly close to the Adam's apple of one of the Black Dragons.

"WHERE IS LIARA?" he demanded, not hesitating to push the point of the blade against the man's neck to show he wasn't fooling around. The man glanced around with a pleading look in his eyes, only to find the other men that had fallen beside him had their arms and legs held in place by a pair of arms. Brook nodded appreciatively at Robin, who gave a small smile as her arms remained in an "X" shape. All the other pirates had been dealt with and defeated...all except one.

"Well done, well done!" Lurg stepped onto the deck from his cabin on the second floor, clapping and smirking as he walked down the stairs."Too bad I wasn't informed of your arrival ahead of time, other wise I might have prepared some snacks."

A look of absolute anger was visible on Mina's face as she scowled in his direction. "Get your ass down here Lurg! We need to have a talk!" she spat as she pointed her sword towards him.

"WHERE IS LIARA?" Brook asked once more in a booming voice, his sockets shrunk into a glare.

Lurg shrugged and smiled. "I assume sleeping in her room. But let's not worry about her. After all, you came tromping onto my ship and attacked my crew mates. That isn't something I appreciate, you know."

"But you took Liara away, and she is our nakama!" Luffy accusingly yelled. The other Strawhats nodded in agreement as they stepped forward to stand beside their captain. Lurg stood on the main floor now, and decided to draw out his own sword to show he was just as serious. Mina flew forward without hesitation and slashed angrily at him, the sounds of metal clanking against each other loudly echoing.

"You're better than I expected," Lurg complimented with a sarcastic grin as his sword once again met with hers, sparks flying off the blades. Mina ducked and jammed her foot upwards with incredible flexibility, her heel smashing into his chin. Startled, he stepped backwards, but recovered quickly enough to block her lower jab attempt. Everybody else stood nearby and watched the fight with increased intensity and impatience. Brook didn't bother paying attention to what was happening before him; he was too busy trying to guess where Liara was.

[][][][][][]

Pitch black. That was all she could see.

Even after remaining in the dark for so long, she still couldn't the floorboards beneath her feet or the wooden walls that imprisoned her. She supposed that part of it could be due to not having eaten anything since breakfast. A part of her wondered if she'd even be able to ever eat again. It was a foolish thought, but one that seemed highly plausible at the moment. Liara had to admit, she was pretty worried. Was tonight her last night alive? A pretty miserable way to go out, that was for sure. Still, she couldn't help but hold onto the tiny bit of hope that remained in her heart. She knew her nakama had probably tried to find her, but what if they couldn't?

She quickly shook her head, wishing she had a free hand right now to slap herself for having such negative thoughts.

Perhaps she should call the Captain back in to do it for her. After all, the slap from earlier had stung like crazy, but it woke her up. In a situation like this, despair and negativity wouldn't get her anywhere. Suddenly, she heard what sounded like a loud yell. She jolted upwards and listened intently as the sounds of swords, shouts, and crashing surrounded her. Her eyes widened in disbelief and a tear fell down her face. _Please..let this be them._

[][][][][][]

The fight continued on. So far, Mina had proven to be agile and clever, as she always seemed to find an opportunity to catch Lurg off-guard when he least expected it. Eventually she managed to slash him a few times and kick him in the stomach, causing him to gasp for breath as air was forced out of his lungs. As promised, Merick was able to step in and give Lurg a few good punches, shattering the Captain's nose and putting a dent into the side of his forehead. Lurg put his hands up, his face bruised and covered in blood. "Fine! I surrender! Go get your damn daughter. Nothing but trouble anyways..." Lurg muttered, only to stop as Brook quickly ran forward and gave him such a frightening glare of death that Lurg almost swore he was looking at the Grim Reaper himself.

"I will only say this one more time," Brook said in a deep voice that was equal to snarl. "Where is Liara?"

Lurg grimaced. "12 doors down on the left hallway." Brook used the back of his sword to knock the Captain out before turning back and looking at his crew. They smiled and relaxed.

"Go get her Brook!" Usopp and Nami cheered, Sanji sending him a look that served as a final reminded to his warning. The skeleton turned around and took off running down the hallway, wanting nothing more to see Liara again.


	12. Reunion

Chapter 12 : Reunion

_**Guys, there was only **__**one **__**review for the past two chapters...: [ If there are no reviews I really have no motivation to write this story as quickly, which sucks because I seriously look forward to seeing what everybody thinks so far. I'm also still releasing art for the story on my deviantart account. Pleaseeeee keep reviewing, and thanks so much to everybody who added me or this story to their favorites!**_

[Anastasia: Reminiscing with Grandma]

Brook bolted down the hallway, hundreds of thoughts racing through his head. He honestly didn'teven know what he would say when he saw Liara. Now wasn't the time to think about it though, so he rid his mind of all thoughts before coming to a complete stop before the destined door. Taking in a deep breath for effect [as he was a skeleton and didn't really need oxygen], he pushed open the door.

The door gave a gentle creak and swung open. Light from the moon and hallway lights beamed into the empty and dark room. It was then that Brook noticed the figure sitting on a wooden chair in the center of the room. The figure's head hung down; a mass of wavey brown hair draped over two shoulders, and thick ropes over the wrists and ankles were securely wrapped against the chair. Upon hearing the creak, the figure slowly lifted her head and looked forward, wincing slightly as the light hit her directly in the eyes.

All she could see at first was a tall, standing shadow that was slowly moving towards her. "Liara," the shadow suddenly said in a low voice, almost in the form of a whisper. Liara felt goosebumps crawl up her skin as she realized just who was in front of her. "Brook?" she asked, her eyes widening as the shadow blurred for a moment before clearly revealing the skeleton who was looking down at her with eyes of concern.

Brook felt pain tear across his chest as he saw Liara's state. Even though not even 24 hours had passed since she was kidnapped, she looked tired and sickly. Her hair was pressed against her forehead from sweaty, and her lips were chapped from dehydration. The rims of her eyes were red, and worst of all, a dark mark was evident on the side of her face. Liara being forcefully taken away was bad enough, but the fact that she had been physically hurt was enough to cause Brook to subconciously crack his knuckles in frustration. He mentally calmed himself and knelt down in front of her, her blue eyes never leaving his face for a second. He drew his sword and cut the ropes that bound her to her prison. The ropes fell to the ground in a clump of satisfaction, and Brook sheathed his sword.

For a moment, all Liara and Brook did was look at each other. Brook was beginning to think the worst and wonder if Liara really was mad at him. Slowly, she reached her hand out and touched his cheekbone, trying to reassure herself that he was real.. His jaw opened slightly at the contact, but he said nothing nor tried to stop her. "Brook..." Liara once again said, her thumb brushing over his cheek, confirming her hopeful thoughts. Her eyes began to water.

She fell onto her knees, pressed her face against his chest and wrapped her arms around his torso. "Brook," she sobbed. "Brook, I was so scared! Brook! Brook!" Over and over she repeated his name as tears heavily poured down her cheeks. As she continued to cry hysterically, Brook found himself feeling an enormous amount of guilt. Liara had suffered simply because he hadn't kept watch over her more carefully, and now she was crying. Hearing her cry like that broke his heart, and before he could stop himself he wrapped his arms around the upper part of her body so that one hand was on her back and the other was on her head. "I'm so sorry Liara," Brook aplogized before realizing that he himself was also crying. He was so relieved that she was okay; he didn't know what he would've done if he had lost her. "Shhh...I'm here. Everything will be okay," he whispered to her as he gently rubbed the upper part of her back. It was all he could manage to say at the moment, as his top priority was to calm LIara down and make sure she was okay.

After several minutes, Liara's sobbing ceased. She lifted her head up and looked at Brook with puffy and red eyes. This time, Brook placed _his_ thumb on _her_ cheek and wiped away the last tear that dripped over the unbruised side of her face. It pained him to see her like this, and he hoped he never had to see her so scared and upset ever again. "I promise to protect you from now on. I'm so sorry."

Liara, however, quickly shook her head and placed her hand over Brook's. "No, I'm sorry," she managed to say after a deep breath. "I should've kept closer to you, and I could've tried to at least defend myself better. I've caused all of you nothing but worry." Before Brook could protest, she smiled. " Besides, I handled everything okay. You should've seen how I whacked him over the head earlier!" She said it in such a proud voice that Brook found himself chuckling. Removing his hand from her face, he ruffled the top of her hair teasingly before standing up and holding out his hand to help her up. She took his invitation, but stumbled a bit on the way to her feet. "Woah, careful," Brook cautioned as Liara fell against him. She rubbed the back of her head in embarassment. "Guess I'm just a little out of it," she admitted. Brook crossed his arms for a moment, looking like he was in deep thought, while Liara tilted her head slightly in curiousity to get a better look at his concentrated face in an attempt to see what he was thinking.

Finally Brook gave an affirmative nod, and in one swift motion scooped Liara up, carrying her just as he had the night she'd passed out at the bar. Liara squeaked and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. " Wh-what are you doing?" she cried out as her face grew red. Brook once again chuckled and strode forward. "You're not feeling very well right now, so I shall be assisting you. Besides, I did tell you that I'd be more than happy to carry you again, Miss Liara."

The Strawhats paced back and forth impatiently in the hallway, Sanji more so than the others. "I wanted to be the one who rescued her!" the blonde cook whined, his cigarette sagging from tears of heartbreak.

Zoro stood with his arms crossed and his eyes shut. "Oi, keep it down, you damn love-cook. Nobody cares." Before Sanji could charge at the swordsman, eight arms popped up and blocked the attack. "Not now, Cook-San," Robin calmly said. Sanji pouted but stopped just so Robin would be pleased.

The sound of footsteps alerted everybody that the pair were approaching, and sure enough, Brook and Liara exited the room. "Liara!" Chopper excitedly cried out, still in Heavy Point and waving his arms around in delight. Slowly Brook lowered Liara to the ground so she could greet everybody. Franky placed a hand on her shoulder and raised his sunglasses up, flashing a smile. "Good to see you're okay, Liara-sis."

Liara gave a soft smile. "Sorry, for worrying everybody. I haven't been in the crew for very long and already I'm causing trouble. Thanks for rescuing me." And with that, she bowed her head.

"Aww, that's okay! Good thing the great Captain Usopp is around! Besides, you wouldn't believe how many times Nami has been captu-OW!" Nami walked past Usopp, who was nursing the new bruise on his arm, and placed her hand on Liara's other shoulder. "Don't worry, we're nakama. We look out for eachother." And on that note, the orange-haired navigator gave a rare, trustworthy smile.

Zoro, who had remained against the wall, suddenly walked forward and held out a familiar-looking sword. "I believe this is yours," he said. Liara smiled and reached out to take the sword, beaming with happiness. "Thank you, Zoro," she gratefully said as she gripped onto the sword and drew it back, fastening it to her side securely. Zoro looked at her with his good eye, which had a kind of twinkle in it. "Us swordsmen need to stick together, right?" It was said with such a teasing tone that Liara giggled and nodded in confirmation.

"Liara, who hurt you?" Sanji cried out in alarm as he noticed the small bruise on her face. Liara, having completely forgotten about her slight injury, just shrugged her shoulders. "Nobody worth mentioning. Besides, I can take a bruise or two just like everybody else!" she proudly exclaimed with a fist thrust into the air, but frowned as she looked around. "Where's Luffy?"

"Oiiii! Liaraaa!" At the end of the hallway stood Luffy, waving his rubbery arm around. "Come here!" Liara lowered her arm and happily obliged by heading towards her Captain, with everybody else following closely behind.

Luffy gave Liara a friendly pat on the back as she joined him, his usual idiotic grin plastered onto his face. "Welcome back! There's still meat on the ship for you! By the way, we have a surprise!" He gave her a little nudge forward.

As she looked up, she felt her whole body come to a complete stop. Standing in front of her were her parents. "Mom? Dad?" Liara nervously asked, almost expecting them to explode at any moment. Instead, Mina slowly walked up to her daughter, not saying a word. Liara glanced away, feeling a bit ashamed for suddenly taking off. "I'm sorry that I-" Before she could finish her sentence, Mina let out a sob and pulled Liara into a hug, catching the young woman completely off-guard.

"I'm so glad you're okay! I was worried!" The female Marine held onto her daughter tightly. Merick walked up from behind and wrapped his large arms around both both his wife and daughter, where they stayed for a while. The Strawhats just stood in the background, watching the reunion happily. Franky cried his manly tears, and even Zoro smiled. Sanji, upon noticing how intently Brook was watching the scene unfold, reached a hand up and gave the skeleton a pat on the arm. "You did good, " he said with a smile, exhaling smoke.

"I'm just glad she's okay," Brook said, returning his gaze back to the family. Sanji placed his hands in his pants' pockets. "Me too."


	13. Fireworks

_** Yahoo! I think this is possible my longest chapter so far! Thanks so much to everybody who alerted, favorited, or reviewed! [ladiladi and lilzuke18, I tried replying to you guys to thank you for your reviews, but private messaging is blocked. I didn't just look at the reviews and get rid of them. No way!] Seriously, it means a lot to me. : ] Please, please keep them coming! Thank you! **_

Chapter 13: Fireworks

After the embrace between Liara and her parents disbanded, Mina placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders and looked her right in the eyes. "Liara, this isn't something I approve of, you hanging out with pirates, I mean. I admit that they seem like good people, but why are you with them? Why did you leave? Be honest."

Liara glanced down and bit her lip, trying to think of the right words to say. Last time she spoke truthfully to her parents they laughed at her. Would they do so again?

"It's because I'm determined to make my dream come true!" she exclaimed, her fists clenched in determination. "To you, Fantasia Island is a laughable myth, but to me, it's something I've dreamt about finding since I was a little girl. Luffy and his crew..." she nodded her head towards the Strawhats, who stood patiently in the background, "...rescued me after a storm and listened to my dream without laughing. Each of them have their own dream, and accept each others' weaknesses and strengths. They have asked me to be their nakama, and it's an offer I'm more than happy to accept." She stood up proud and tall, her eyes serious and not a single falter in her words. "I know this is ridiculous to you, but I'm happy to be with them and I know that together all of our dreams will come true."

Merick and Mina said nothing at first, and although Liara had made it clear how determined she was, she was shaking on the inside. For all she knew, they would forcefully drag her away. They had come this far to find her, and both, especially her mom, were extremely stubborn. Still, she remained calm on the outside to show how serious she was about the whole thing. When Mina smiled, Liara felt her entire body relax.

"You're my daughter, alright; stubborn and strong. I will once again say that I don't completely agree with this, but you're not a little girl anymore. What we say won't matter as much." Mina looked sad for a moment. "I am proud of you for being so ambitious, and it's very hard for me to realize that you're no longer a child that needs to hold my hand, but I think that as long as you're traveling with a good group of friends like Luffy and his crew, then I think I can feel a little at ease."

There was a sudden eruption of cheering behind her, and as Liara turned around she saw Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp with their arms around each other's shoulders and kicking their legs up. The others all smiled, with Sanji practically tripping over himself as his pupils transformed into hearts. Brook was beaming, though one couldn't really notice due to no skin covering his bones. He had to admit that a part of him was worried that Liara would leave or be taken away, but now he could practically feel his bones twinging with delight. It wouldn't have been fair to any of them to lose their new nakama, not after they'd all just started getting close to her, Brook especially.

Liara's mouth opened slightly, shocked that her parents weren't even putting up a fight to her decision. Merick wrapped his arm around Mina's small shoulders and nodded in agreement. "We both love you Liara, and I'm sorry we laughed at you. The thing is, it's always hard for parents to let their child grow up and break away. We were in your shoes once though, so we should've known better. Just please know that we are trusting you to make good decisions on your journey and that you will always be welcome to your home on Rosiv Island with us. I will also do my best to try and keep the Marines away from you and your friends. Be safe."

Liara's eyes watered as she nodded her head and embraced both of her parents. "I love you mom and dad. Thank you so much! This means the world to me!"

It was on this note that the Strawhats decided to walk forward and leave a good impression...well, in their own way. Nami linked arms with Liara and smiled triumphantly. "You got it! We'll take great care of her!"

Sanji spun around. "I'll make sure my sweetheart is well fed!" He stopped spinning the moment Merick's hands firmly clasped onto his shoulders. "Good, good. However, may I so politely request that you keep a decent distance away from my beloved daughter? We have a clear understanding, right?" It was said through gritted teeth to send a clear warning, causing Sanji to practically shrivel up into a crushed pile of broken hearts. Zoro smirked with satisfication over the cook's saddened state, planning to use it to damage him even further in their next fight.

After another embrace betwen Liara and her parents, the Strawhats left the now-wrecked Black Dragon's ship and headed to their own. By this time, the moon was starting to lower in the sky, signaling dawn would be breaking in within the next few hours. LIara was so tired and weak that she practically passed out once they got off the ship. Chopper carried her this time so she could snuggle against his fur for warmth and comfort; it was an adorable sight to say the least.

Once on the Thousand Sunny, Chopper followed Nami and Robin back to the girl's bedroom, where he carefully laid Liara down on her bed and tucked her in. Robin and Nami thanked him before deciding to also retire for the night.

Sanji was the first to rise, as he was the one who had to prepare breakfast. However, because the night before had been somewhat long and tiring, nobody else woke until at least ten, with Robin being the first one up, as usual.

Liara slept all through breakfast and didn't wake up until around one. Her loud, grumbling stomach was what aroused her from her slumber, reminding her that she hadn't eaten for at least 24 hours. She didn't even bother changing as she headed into the kitchen, where Robin was reading at the kitchen table with a steaming cup of coffee and Sanji was preparing lunch. Robin smiled in acknowledgement and placed the book down, securing her current reading spot with a bookmark. "Sleep well?" she asked as she gently blew on her coffee and took a sip.

Liara nodded and sat down across from Robin, giving a warm smile in return. "I did, thank you! I appreciate what you all did for me, really I do." A loud grumbling sound suddenly echoed from her stomach, causing her and Robin to giggle.

"Liara, my dearrrrrr, what can I get for you?" Sanji sweetly asked from his position next to the stove; he seemed to be emitting an aura of hearts. Liara thought about it for a moment before suggesting he surprise her, which he was more than happy to do. As he prepared the meal, Robin decided to continue their conversation

"The fireworks are tonight, you know," the archaeologist said with a twinkle in her eye. Liara propped her elbows up on the table. "I'd completely forgotten, to be honest," she confessed. "Now that you mention it though, I am excited. It's been a while since I've actually seen them. Are we going to watch it from the ship?"

Robin softly placed her coffee cup back down. "We can, but Luffy and Usopp might want to go into town to see them with everybody else. I think I might just stay here, but we'll see when the time comes."

Liara nodded and glanced away, wondering what she herself will do when it comes time for the fireworks. All thoughts leaft her head though as she inhaled the mouth-watering aroma of food. Sanji gracefully placed a large plate covered with lobster claws, shrimp, and specially-made tartar sauce right in front her. Three lemons slices decorated the meal as they lay neatly next to the lobster, and a glass of fresh lemonade was placed next to the plate. If Liara's mouth had been open, a trail of saliva would have been dripping out of the corners of her mouth. As soon as he placed down silver ware, bowed, and said "Enjoy," she immediately dug into her food. She was so hungry and thirsty that she nearly finished her lemonade in one gulp and practically devoured her food. She let out a content sigh as she placed her used-silverware onto the empty plate. Robin and Sanji had both watched her the entire time, slightly amazed yet amused by just how hungry Liara was. It was only when Liara looked up and saw their eyes on her that she realized how rude she must've seemed.

"Ahh! Sorry! So sorry! I didn't mean to eat like th-" A burp escaped from her mouth, causing Sanji and Robin to look at eachother before they burst out laughing. "It's alright dear. Don't apologize for being hungry," Robin assured once she'd caught her breath. "I would've eaten the same way." Liara giggled.

After her meal, Liara took a shower to wash away all remains of sweat and dirt. The mark on her face was still visible, but had decreased in size and color. It was now light pink and didn't really sting anymore. She stood in the shower for a few moments, allowing the hot water to massage her aching muscles. Her entire body turned red from the heat, but she didn't care at the moment. She placed her head against the corner wall of the tub, her hands placed upwards and besides her head. Her hair practically covered her entire backside, with some hanging over her shoulder and covering her chest. She closed her eyes and focused on nothing but the sound of running water.

Eventually she shut the water off, shivering at the loss of warm contact; water dripped off her body and hair. She pulled the shower curtain open and stepped onto the mat placed conveniently in front of the tub. Once she dried herself off, she put on spaghetti-strapped dress that went from light purple at the top to dark purple at the bottom; a ruffles spread the dress outwards. She decided that since she would probably remain on the ship, she would just not wear anything on her feet.

Evening approached slowly much to the Strawhats' dismay. Luffy was constantly running around on deck and looking up to see if the sun had gotten any lower, while Franky and Usopp were growing irritated with their captain's constant moving.

Eventually Liara came up from below deck to greet the people she hadn't spoken to since very early in the morning. Chopper, being in Brain Point, ran towards her and used Usopp's head as a means to throw himself into her arms. She was all too happy to give the little furry creature a hug, thanking him for allowing her to sleep while he carried her back to the ship. "Don't thank me, you asshole!" he gushed as he wiggled his arms in delight. Even though he had never spoken like that around her before, Liara seemed to automatically know that it was his way of being happy, which only made him seem even more adorable to her.

Brook, who had been attempting to meditate with Zoro again, [much to the swordsman's annoyance] heard the excitement from below the crow's nest. He grabbed the sides of the ladder and allowed himself to slide down before swiftly landing on his feet. As his gaze fell across Liara, he found himself admiring just how pretty she looked.

"Liara!" Nami happily exclaimed as she rushed past the skeleton and broke him out of his trance. Liara smiled upon seen her friend. "Hey, where are you going to be for the fireworks tonight? Are you going to town with us?" Nami curiously asked.

Liara shook her head. "No, I think I'll just stay on the ship tonight. I'm sure it'll still be a nice view of the show."

Nami nodded. "That's fine." She turned around to face the other crew members. "Anybody else staying?"

Brook didn't even hesitate to step forward. "I am. I don't really feel like being surrounded by crowds right now." It was a poor excuse, really. The fact was, he absolutely loved being surrounded by people and performing for them. Robin knew this, as she glanced his way with a twinkle in her eye, speculating that an interesting development was occurring.

Everybody else decided they would head into town, including Zoro, who Liara was sure would end up staying behind just to sleep. "I need more booze," was all the swordsman said before he gave a backwards wave and left for the bar. The others decided to also follow behind so they could take a look at all the festivities that were occurring before the big show. Sanji was the last one to leave; he strode over to Brook, who was pulling out a violin. "Yo, you try anything funny with my sweet Liara and I will grind your bones and throw them into the sea. We clear?"

Brook practically dropped the violin back into the case at the sudden threat, feeling quite embarrassed over the suggestion. "I am a mere skeleton who wants to do nothing more than make music. Do not worry," he quickly promised, trying to keep his voice as innocent sounding as possible. Sanji merely glared at him. "Good."

Liara was also feeling slightly embarrassed, wondering why Sanji would even think such a thought. "Don't worry, we'll both be fine and enjoy the show. I promise," she said in a reassuring voice, which brought a smile to the chef's face. Satisfied with the response, he headed over to the ship's ramp.

"Good-bye my dear!" Sanji dramatically cried out as he wiggled his body around like a jellyfish and clasped his hands together. Liara gave him a small wave and smiled before he departed, allowing Brook to finally shake his head and let out a sigh of relief. " Honestly, you think he would have more trust in me!" He said it in such an insulted voice that Liara couldn't help but laugh, which in turn caused Brook to chuckle along.

After a few seconds the laughter stopped and all that remained was silence between them. Liara suddenly felt her cheeks grow warm as she realized that they were alone on the ship and would be watching the fireworks together, which made her suddenly feel shy. She had to admit she was excited though, not only to see the fireworks but to have more bonding time with her closest friend on the ship. It was like she could talk to him about anything, regardless of the fact that they had known each other for not even a week.

Brook was in the same predicament. The first time he had been alone with Liara was her first night aboard the ship, but nothing had felt awkward then. Now, it was almost as if he couldn't really think straight around her, and that bothered him. The feeling wasn't horrible, but it was definitely unfamiliar and strange to him. It was almost as if he was afraid of what to say or do around her.

The silence was becoming unbearable. " So, what shall we do until the show starts?" Liara asked, hoping to at least have some sort of conversation to avoid an uncomfortable atmosphere. Grateful for the mood change, Brook grinned and lifted his violin up onto his shoulder. "I figured a little music might help pass the time," he suggested. Liara sat down and nodded in agreement. "That would be lovely."

About a half hour passed, with Brook playing song after song. Part of him wondered if Liara was growing bored with his performance. She clapped after each song, complimenting him and requesting another piece. He was enjoying himself, of course, but was Liara?

Liara was, in fact, absolutely loving the music. She would sometimes close her eyes and let the wind blow stroke her hair just so she could allow herself to be drawn into the music even more. As she looked up and saw the sun beginning to set, she couldn't help but begin to feel excited. She waited for him to finish his song first before applauding and practically leaping to her feet. "How wonderful!" she cheered. "Your music is so beautiful! I would love to be able to play like you!"

Brook practically fell over in delight. "Thank you, Miss Liara! Beautiful music for a beautiful woman." He said it so naturally that he didn't realize what he said until the last word had slipped out. Of course, he didn't completely regret saying it because, well, it was true. It did manage to bring the awkward feeling back though, especially since Liara's face was now bright red. She twiddled her fingers together and looked away, murmuring a "thank you" so she didn't appear rude. His compliment honestly made her happy, but she didn't know what to say.

BAM!

Liara let out a surprised yelp as she spun around and saw a ball of smoke in the sky. "What was that?" she exclaimed.

"Ah, I believe that was to signal that the show will be starting soon," Brook calmly answered. He looked around and noticed that the sun was now almost below the horizon line. "We should get ready." Liara nodded and followed Brook to the right side of the ship so they were facing the town. They both sat at the top of the ramp, which had just enough room for the two of them and possible somebody of Chopper's size. It was comfortable though, and neither were displeased with sitting close to the other.

[Music: Tangled-Waiting for the Lights]

Liara smiled and leaned back, placing palms face down and her arms slightly behind her. She could see people of all ages waving glow sticks around, which were practically the only light source at the moment, as most of the city lights and streets lamps had been shut off for the evening's show. She could hear laughter and see children running around while parents anxiously ran after them. Brook propped a knee up and placed his elbow on it. He looked over and found himself feeling happy at seeing Liara's smile. "Excited?"

She glanced over at him, her smile growing even wider. "Of course. It's been so long since I've last seen fireworks. I'm really glad to be seeing them with my friends, especially you, Brook." Liara suddenly leaned forward, her eyes still focused on him. "You and Luffy and Nami and everybody else went all out to save me today, and I will always be grateful for that. You have all become so important to me..." she looked away. "Especially you Brook-" she looked back at him. "So thank you." And just before Brook could respond, Liara lay the side of her head against his arm.

The sudden movement was unexpected, to say the least, but Brook didn't push her away. Actually, at the moment, his rib cage was practically bursting with happiness. He was certain that if he still had a beating heart, it would break his chest.

Liara was nervous and scared, wondering if perhaps she was being too forward and making Brook uncomfortable. She didn't want to pull away, as being so close to him made her feel comfortable, but she certainly didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable. Her shoulders sagged in relief though as he placed his hand on her head and gave it a gentle rub. "You're welcome," he whispered.

Standing near the back of the town square were Merick and Mina, who decided to stay and watch the fireworks before departing back home. Mina had seemed troubled the whole day, and it was obvious that she was worried about Liara. Merick thought the fireworks would at least bring a smile to Mina's face, but she didn't appear even slightly happy or excited. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her left shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Hey, everything will be okay. She's tough, just like her mother."

Mina looked at him and gave an appreciative smile. " I know Merick, but it's just so hard to see our little girl go. There is so much she doesn't know about the world."

"But those Pirates seem to know plenty, and she's a very smart girl. It's important that she learns what's out there now. The Strawhats will take care of her; I can tell they love her very much." Merick reassured with a grin. He leaned down and kissed Mina on the forehead, who smirked and placed her hands on her hips. "Alright Lieutenant, behave. We're in public, you know." She stood on her tip toes and wrapped her arms around his neck before drawing him into a kiss. "I suppose I can make an exception this time, though."

Two fireworks suddenly shot upward, ridding the sky of night darkness for a moment before vanishing into nothingness. People below cheered as even more were blasted against the stars, filling the air with red, blue, purple, yellow, and white. Luffy stretched his arms upwards as if he was trying to catch one of the bright displays with his rubber hands. He was hit over the head by Nami who hissed at him to move out of the way while Sanji defended her against Usopp complaining that she was too loud. All in all, the whole evening proved eventful and enjoyable, especially for Liara and Brook, who wouldn't trade their seats for the world.


	14. Departure

_**I am so SORRY for the delayed chapter! Honestly, the only excuse I have is that I was stuck working more hours and school kinda took over for a bit. Anyways, I'm back! I even uploaded a new picture to my deviantart account of Brook and Liara in a Phantom of the Opera setting. Check it out! I got a few more reviews so thank you all so much for that! : ] I have so many ideas for the upcoming chapters that I really want to put out right away, so I'm pretty excited! Please send me your reviews and thanks for staying with me this far!**_

Chapter 14: Departure

At ten in the morning, Liara finally rolled out of bed, a smile practically glued to her face. She couldn't exactly figure out the reason herself, but ever since the fireworks' show from last night she had been feeling unusually happy. It was by no means a bad thing, just...odd. Oddly wonderful, that is.

_"Could it be because I've grown closer to Brook?"_ she asked herself as she stood in front of the long mirror that hung over the dresser, her hands swooping towards the back of her head as she swept her hair up into a high ponytail. She had to admit that just being around him now would make her feel slightly shy, and the fact that she was going to be seeing him everyday on the ship made her stomach feel weird, but in a good way. She headed over to her closet and skimmed through the clothes, thoughts from last night intruding her mind.

_When the last firework had exploded, cheering and clapping could be heard from nearly every direction. Liara's neck was slightly hurting from her head being tilted onto Brook's arm for nearly fifteen minutes, but she was by no means upset. Once she and Brook had finished applauding along with everybody else, she rubbed the back of her neck and rolled her shoulders around to try and relieve tension in her muscles. Brook stood up and held out a hand to escort Liara to her feet. "Are you okay, Miss Liara?" he asked as he extended out his fingers to her sitting figure. Liara gave an appreciative smiled and nodded as she took his hand, her fingers of flesh resting on his fingers of bone. _

_ "Yes, thank you. I'm just stiff, is all," she answered, her gaze focused entirely on his face. They said nothing for a moment before glancing down and realizing that their hands were still resting on each other, though this time, neither one pulled apart. The noise around them seemed to vanish, and both [mainly Liara,] could only hear their own breathing and hearts' pounding. Brook tightened his fingers around Liara's protectively, unsure of what to say or do. It was almost as if they were under a trance.  
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_ "Ahem."_

_ Both Liara and Brook seemed to jolt back to reality as they quickly let go of each others hands and looked over to see Robin leaning slightly against the railing, a sly smile on her face. "Good thing I was the first to arrive, or Cook-san would've surely thrown a fit. I certainly hope I didn't interrupt anything."_

_ Liara's face had grown bright red, and even Brook had to turn his head to fake a cough in embarrassment. "Er-of course not!" he quickly said. "I was just saying goodnight to Miss Liara. So...goodnight!" And with that he sped off, leaving behind a chuckling Robin and a silent but red-faced Liara._

_ Before Liara also departed for bed, Robin had given her a wink and promised to not say a word, though Liara quickly reassured her that nothing had happened and practically bolted downstairs into the womens' bedroom._

She slipped out of her pajamas, kicking the black pants' bottoms off the tips of her toes. Eventually she dressed herself in a pair of blue-jean capris and a white ruffled shirt that slightly revealed her shoulders. Once satisfied with her appearance, she headed into the kitchen.

Surprisingly, she wasn't the last one to arrive. It was Usopp who stumbled in after everybody else, circles visible under his eyes. He sat down between Chopper and Luffy and gave a loud yawn before lazily propping his elbows on the table. Chopper gave him a look of concern.

"Usopp! You need to sleep better and stop working on inventions all night!" the little reindeer lectured in his high-pitched voice. Usopp merely gave a "yeah yeah" before picking up a strip of bacon from the plate Sanji had just placed before him.

Liara supposed that it was something Usopp did quite often, as nobody else at the table seemed even the tiniest bit worried. She was currently sitting between Franky and Brook, and since both of them were so tall, she found herself feeling like a little mouse trapped between two giants.

Breakfast carried on in the usual, loud manner, with separate conversations carrying on all around the table. Liara mostly just sat quietly, enjoying the pleasant atmosphere. Sometimes, she would glance around the table before looking up at Brook. She would usually catch him looking at her as well. He would smile the way a skeleton could before going back to his meal. He was quiet almost all of breakfast.

"Liara, wanna be our artist?" Luffy suddenly asked, causing the whole table to shift their attention onto her. It took Liara completely by surprise, but she had to admit she was intrigued by the thought. "Me? An artist for you?" She knew she probably sounded a little stupid by questioning out loud Luffy's, well, question, but she felt so flattered that he had even suggested.

"I don't see why not," Franky added as he took a giant gulp from his Cola bottle. "Chopper and Usopp both said you draw pretty well, and I think somebody drawing us and parts of the islands we go to would be neat to look at."

Nami leaned past Franky so Liara could see her. "Plus, the island drawings could be placed with my maps so people would have a good idea about the places we've gone to. By the way, I'm the one who suggested it to Luffy. You really think he could come up with something like that on his own?" The whole table laughed as Luffy pouted.

Eventually breakfast was finished and Nami decided that it was probably time for them to leave Sea Breeze island. Liara requested that she at least get a sketch in before they left, which Nami approved of. While everybody else prepared to leave, Liara sat in the same place she and Brook had sat the night before to enjoy the firework show. The mere memory of it caused Liara's cheeks to warm up, but she knew she had to push it aside in order to get the drawing done in time. She was by no means a professional artist, but she definitely knew the basic steps and how to add shadow perfectly to give off a 3-Dimensional look. She tapped the pencil against the top of her drawing pad in an effort to give an idea of where she should even begin. After scanning the town for a bit, she decided to begin sketching the giant "Sea Breeze Island" sign. She then began to sketch the surroundings, and finally started the inking. Her eyes would occasionally narrow in concentration, and she would sometimes even bite her lip as she carefully added detail to the buildings, trees, and even some of the people. The process went by faster than she expected, but it still took a lot of concentration to place all the correct shapes and shadows. It was her first job on the crew, and she didn't want to let any of them down.

How much time went by, Liara couldn't say, but she could tell it had been a while because of how cramped up her fingers were becoming. The ink pen was practically slipping out of her grasp from the moisture gathering around her fingertips. Her back was becoming stiff from being hunched over for so long, causing her to have to roll her shoulders around and twist her torso a bit in order to crack her back. The third time she twisted around she was met with the ankle of Brook's long legs. He stood above her, looking down and watching her draw with great interest. She practically fell down the ramp in surprise before taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.

Brook chuckled and placed a hand on his hip bone, causing his elbow to jut outwards at an angle. "Ah, that looks lovely Miss Liara. I see that you like this spot, hm?" He said it in a joking manner, but it was still enough to cause Liara to smile and turn away.

"Indeed," she replied. "This was a perfect view for the fireworks last night, and a great view of the whole town to boot. That's it, really." Usually she wasn't sarcastic, but she decided to play along with Brook's jesting nature to show she could evenly match him in humor. He didn't laugh, but it was obvious he was smirking from the "mm-hmm" sound he made.

They didn't say anything much after that, but Liara didn't mind. The silence they shared was comfortable, as it should be among friends. She paused in the middle of signing her name in the bottom left corner. _Friends...that's it, and that was perfectly fine. Right?_

"Looks great!" Nami complimented as she held up the drawing in front of her. It had to be at least 11' X 14'', which wasn't a bad size. Plus, Liara had managed to fit most of the scenery on the page without looking too cramped. She really had talent, and that made Nami even more confident in her suggestion over Liara's new position.

Liara felt embarassed by the compliment, but looked pleased nonetheless. Currently, they were both standing in the Sunny-Go's library. It was pretty nice and large considering it was on a ship. Book of different colors, both thick and thin, were lined up in neatly arranged rows on long shelves. A few bookcases made up of what appeared to be mahogany wood were placed firmly against the library's walls. Liara had a feeling she would be spending a lot of time in there. Like Robin, she was a bookworm who absolutely loved escaping to far off places through the pages of a book. It was amazing how some words on paper could put her through so many scenarios and adventures.

"Thank you. I can't wait to do the next one!" Liara enthusiastically said as she placed her hands behind her back and smiled proudly. She meant it, of course. She'd always loved drawing, and being able to watch her drawings grow along with her crew mates would be an absolute thrill for her. She knew the Strawhat Pirates would be well-remembered, even in the distant future, and being a part of that would be an honor.

There was a sudden sound of heavy footsteps drawing closer to the library's door. It was practically shoved open as Franky's head, which seemed relatively small compared to his enormous body, poked through. "Hey Nami-sis, are we ready to go?"

Nami nodded and walked away from her spot against one of the library's desks. "Sure. Give the order." She waiting until Franky nodded in confirmation and took off before turning back to Liara. "Let's go back on deck. It's time for departure."

Liara followed Nami closely behind until they both stood right in the middle of Sunny's deck. The ramp had already been pulled up, and Chopper stood in his Heavy Point form near the lever that would bring the anchor up. Liara had to admit that she was somewhat intrigued and excited about the launching of the ship, as she'd never experienced it before. Of course, she was well aware that it was more than likely like docking except in reverse mode, but it was the first time she would actually be onboard a departing ship, so there was a part of her that was geeking out.

She watched as everybody began to take their places; they seemed to know the whole routine perfectly. Luffy and Zoro sat on top of the masts, awaiting their orders to drop the sails, while Franky stood at the steering wheel, his fingers firmly wrapped around the handles. Liara couldn't help but notice that while Luffy was the Captain of the ship, the crew seemed to follow Nami's orders more than Luffy's. She chuckled. They never failed to amuse her.

"Alright everybody, prepare for departure!" Nami bellowed out as she placed a hand on her left hip and pointed forward with her right. On command, Chopper began walking around in a circle to lift up the enormous anchor that had been harboring down the Sunny all four days. Liara walked over to the side and peered over to watch in amazement as the anchor was slowly pulled out of the water; droplets that reflected the sunlight dripped off and splashed back into their wet home.

"Yahoo!" Luffy cried out as he and Zoro expertly untied the ropes that bound the sails, releasing the large sheets that proudly showed the Strawhat's Jolly Roger, which was a grinning skull with a strawhat on it's head . The ship began to drift away from the docks as Franky spun the wheel around. The wind gave a little push, and suddenly the ship was moving toward the hidden tunnels they took to get into town. Liara couldn't help but feel slightly sad as she glanced back at the town, realizing that she had no idea how long it would be until she saw her parents again.

"Yohohoho! How about some music to sail away to!" Brook suggested in a cheerful manner, and immediatly began playing on his violin. The whole scene brought a large smile to not only Liara's face, but everybody else on the ship as well. The music was being played at a fast tempo, and soon almost all of them were clapping or humming along. As the ship entered the tunnel and the disappeared from view, Liara felt more excited. This was only the beginning of their adventure together, and she couldn't wait for the many more days ahead with them.


	15. Flying

_**Thanks everybody for the reviews and favorites from last chapter! I look forward to the reviews more than anything, so I beg all of you to please review and let me know what you think! : ] It could just be an "awww!" or even a ": O". Just say somethinggggg! Also, I'm again sorry for the late chapter. Please enjoy and look forward to the next chapter!**_

Chapter 15: Flying

Brook continued playing his happy song while everybody clapped or sang along. At last the Thousand Sunny emerged from Sea Breeze's hidden tunnel, once again sailing along the majestic Grand Line.

Unfortunately, the Strawhats never have it easy.

"ATTACK!"

An enormous cannonball landed in the water directly next to the Sunny, creating an large splash that nearly covered Sunny's deck. Brook's music came to a sharp halt as he and the other Strawhats almost fell over from the strong current that crashed against the side of the ship.

"What the hell?" Sanji exclaimed as he grabbed onto the nearby railing. He looked forward and saw a large Marine ship directly facing them. Standing at the front was an old man with a very familiar looking face..

"Gramps! Yo!" Luffy called out with a grin on his face as he waved his arms above his head. The rest of the crew stood in shock [and irritation] as they realized their attacker was none other than Luffy's grandfather, Admiral Garp.

Garp had an equally large smile on his face, though it also seemed somewhat mischievous. "I should've known I'd run into you again, you dumbass of a grandson!"

Liara watched the two men, absolutely confused as to why Garp was trying to attack his grandson. Without even voicing her confusion, Nami placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's better not to ask," she said, and rolled her eyes.

Zoro stood next to Luffy with his arms crossed over his chest. "Oi, Luffy, we don't have time for this crap. Let's go before that bastard ruins our ship."

Garp raised a stern finger and pointed forward. "Don't you dare le- Zzzzzz." Just like that, Garp's head tilted backwards and loud snores emitted from his mouth. His crew looked at him in disbelief, wondering just how he could fall asleep in the middle of talking.

Luffy was no better, as he himself had fallen asleep while standing up, a trail of drool slid down his chain. Robin chuckled while Nami stomped forward and slapped the back of Luffy's head really hard. It barely did a thing though, as he only grunted a little and fell flat on his face.

"Yo-ho-ho-ho! Our captain sure can nap!" Brook declared in amusement. Usopp and Chopper, who were standing besides Franky near the steering wheel, let out sighs of exasperation. It was an act they were unfortunately all too familiar with.

Franky placed his sunglasses over his eyes and smiled. "Hold on to something; we're gonna blast off!" He began spinning the wheel around so that the front of the ship was no longer facing Garp and his crew.

Usopp grabbed Luffy and slung him over his shoulder before running to the side of the ship and grabbing on tight. Franky ran away from the wheel and headed below deck, leaving a very confused Liara. "What's happening?" she asked, clearly puzzled about what "blast off" could possibly mean.

"Just grab onto something!" Nami called out after grabbing onto the railing between Chopper and Usopp. Liara was still confused, but she nodded and ran to the opposite railing. Brook was already there, holding on with his long arms. Liara decided to follow his lead, and anxiously waited for whatever was going to happen.

The ship suddenly began to vibrate as the sound of an engine rumbled from beneath the ship. By this time, Luffy had woken up and was grinning excitedly.

"COUP DE BURST!"

Sunny took off with a lunge. Usopp, Chopper, and Luffy all cheered wildly, while Zoro looked out with a smile and Brook laughed. Liara squeaked in surprise as she nearly fell backwards, her arms holding onto the railing for dear life.

The ship's bow lifted upwards, and in a matter of seconds the rest of the ship followed. Liara's eyes widened, an enormous smile lit up her face. She looked backwards and saw Garp's ship shrinking into a tiny size, until it was no longer visible. Not only were they flying up and forward, but at a really fast pace too. She was thankful she had put her up, otherwise it would be smacking both her and Brook in the face.

A white bird the size of an eagle glided gracefully beside the ship, with the red tips of its wings so close that all Liara had to do was reach out her arm and she could touch it. Behind it, several more birds of the same flock followed just as beautifully as their leader. "Ahh, it seems the Harlens are having a nice flight today!" Brook loudly said, his skull facing their direction. Liara smiled and watched as the Harlens gave a mighty flap of their wings, and soared past the ship.

The view was beautiful; the world below was nothing more than a giant field of pure blue, and the surrounding sky had only a few white clouds that were nothing more than simple brush strokes on a cerulean palette. Liara would've loved to have spent hours just floating about in the sky, drawing the sights that only few had ever seen. Unfortunately, the flight last only about a minute, as the ship soon began to nose dive back towards the Ocean. It was approaching so fast that she felt her feet lifting off the deck, and for a moment she panicked about flying off. Her fear disappeared as a black-clothed arm snaked around her waist, gently pinning her side back against the railing. She looked up in surprise and saw Brook nodding his head, assuring her that he wouldn't let her fly off. She smiled in gratitude before turning back around to conceal her blush.

The ship landed smoothly back onto the ocean, though it unfortunately was welcomed back with a large splash. For a moment the Sunny rocked restlessly back and forth, but then the waves calmed died down and the rocking rhythm stopped.

"Pretty cool, right Liara sis?" Franky emerged from below Sunny's deck, grinning proudly.

"Do it againnnnnn!" Luffy happily exclaimed. Nami shook her head in disapproval.

"We can't right now, Luffy. You know doing that requires three barrels of Cola. Besides, we're safely away from the Marines now." She ignored Luffy's pout and walked towards Liara. She stopped as she saw Liara still holding onto the railing, but had Brook's arm wrapped securely around her waist. Nami grinned and crossed her arms. " I see you two enjoyed that."

Both Liara and Brook looked down before jumping away from each other. "Oh, uh, thank you Brook for not allowing me to fly off," Liara quickly said as she redid her hair. Brook put his hands up and shook his head. "Uh, no problem, madame! Was happy to help." He pressed his teeth together and began whistling before walking off in a sort of Nutcracker soldier march. Robin walked towards Franky from her position against the stairs, and began heading towards the library, a smile evident on her face. He cocked his head slightly. "What're you so happy for?"

Robin paused before entering through the door. "Something special is going to happen," was all she said, and then she closed the door behind her.


	16. Stars

_**Yay! More reviews! : D Soooooo, things will be getting very interesting soon. I'm just trying to work my way up to the exciting parts without rushing it. Once again, please, please keep the reviews coming and thank you so much to everybody who favorited! [School is out now, so I get more time to write! Yahoo!] **_

Chapter 16: Stars

The moment Sunny landed back on the Grand Line, Liara felt things changing. She wasn't sure if it was just her, but things began to feel different; in a good way, at least.

When she ate with her friends, the whole atmosphere was always pleasant, and she even joined in on the conversation occasionally, whether it be with laughter or a few words of her own. She felt herself bonding with all the crew members, and had come to realize that it was highly unlikely she would ever find such good friends anywhere else in her life. Within four days, Liara had started her own routine, just like the other Strawhats.

In the morning, she would wake up, change into clean clothes, and then join her nakama for breakfast. Once breakfast was over, she would usually join Chopper, Luffy, and Usopp on deck to either fish, play games, or just watch them work. [By them, she meant Usopp and Chopper, as Luffy never did anything productive.] Sometimes she would find Franky and try to help him work on the ship, or she would sit with him for a while and drink some Cola while talking to him. Turns out, he was quite funny, and had been through much more than she could've ever guessed.

Lunchtime would roll around by then, and once that was finished, she would help clean up and prepare for dinner. Regardless of how well her father cooked, Liara hardly knew anything about making meals or even something remotely appetizing. Sanji had protested at first, but after she asked him to teach her some recipes, he was only all too happy to have her around. She rather liked watching him work. The way his hands swiftly moved around was almost magical, and the results were just as great. He made it look flawless.

About an hour before dinner started, Liara would try to get some art done. Her favorite spot was on the second deck of the ship, nestled comfortably in front of Nami's tangerine trees. The smell was pleasant, and the view was excellent. Sanji usually brought her up a lemonade or iced tea, along with some fruit or another healthy snack. He would stand behind her for a minute and praise her drawing, and Liara would feel happy because she knew he meant every word. If Nami was bored, she would join Liara for a little bit and either talk with her or work on her maps. She was even kind enough to allow Liara to eat some of the tangerines, which tasted absolutely fresh and delicious. "Don't tell Luffy though, or he'll eat all of it!" Nami had said with a roll of her eyes. Liara smiled and promised.

Then dinner came, which was even more lively than breakfast and lunch. Luffy continued to try to steal food, Sanji and Zoro insulted each other, and everybody else just kinda did their own thing. A couple times Liara had given in to Luffy and allowed him a piece of food off her plate, and usually he would continue to take her food until she playfully swatted his hand away, causing him to steal from somebody else. Dinner would end, and Brook and Liara would help Sanji clean the table. She would insist on helping him wash dishes, but Sanji would always shake his head and tell her that he and Brook could handle it. Liara would then give an apologetic smile to Brook, who only shrugged his shoulders and chuckled.

While waiting for Brook to finish, Liara would go up to the crow's nest and sit with Zoro. He didn't seem to mind her being around, and even began teaching her how to meditate. She had never meditated before, so the first night she tried had taken a little getting used to. By the third night, she felt utterly relaxed, and began to understand why Zoro enjoyed it so much. She'd sit with him until Brook called up for her, and thanked him for the company before departing. Zoro would open his good eye, give a polite smile, and then close his eye again to resume meditating, Liara would quickly climb down the ladder, and then she and Brook would grab their swords and do some training.

"Miss Liara, you have improved quite a bit!" Brook complimented as he quickly spun around and clashed his sword against Liara's. "However, I do insist that you bend your elbows a little bit more and keep them closer to your body. Extend your sword, not your arms."

Liara carefully listened to Brook's advice, and did just as he suggested. She pulled her elbows closer towards her upper body, and bent her elbows. Unfortunately, as she pushed her sword forward, she stretched her arms forward as well, causing Brook to pull away and shake his head. "No, you must remember to relax and just leave your arms at your side. Now try again."

She took a deep breath, thankful for the fact that Brook was being so patient with her. She loosened her grip on the sword's handle, and brought her arms back to her side. Brook watched her progress carefully, mentally noting when she was preparing to strike. When she finally did, and was once again met with Brook's sword, Liara felt pleased by the fact that this time her elbows hadn't bent as much, while still trying to extend her sword.

"Well done!' Brook exclaimed, feeling quite a bit of pride over his student's success. The smile that lit up Liara's face was more than rewarding enough for him, and he couldn't help but notice that she looked like a little girl who was excited about having an all-A report card.

**[Music: Romeo X Juliet:Oath]**

Just to make sure she had the movement down, Brook suggested that they practice a few more times. Every time, Liara's proportioned her arms and elbows correctly while still being able to extend the sword for an effective strike. Soon, she was doing it so easily that it almost seemed like she had been using a sword her entire life. The way she quickly learned sword fighting techniques was remarkable, and Brook was quite impressed.

Eventually, Brook decided that they'd had enough practice, and him and Liara exchanged bows to officially end the training.

Liara sheathed her sword and began shaking her hands and arms. "Hey Brook, do you know a way to loosen your arms?" she asked as she bent and unbent her elbows to try and relieve stiff muscles.

Brook nodded. "Ah, I believe I can give you a good stretching exercise. Here, let me show you." He walked behind her, and placed his hands over her wrists. Liara felt her heart skip a beat.

"We need to stretch our arms up carefully to relieve all tension in our...well, your muscles," he instructed in a soft voice. Slowly, he straightened out Liara's arms, and began raising them up. Once they were fully raised, she felt Brook's thumb gently touch the palm of her hand. He bent over a little more, so his face was closer to the side of her head.

"Now, we're going to bend your arms and lower them back down," Brook whispered into her ear, causing a pleasant chill to run up Liara's spine. Her heart was pounding, and she knew her face was probably bright red. She tended to blush quite easily, and was hoping that he wouldn't notice. They lowered her arms down, and repeated the whole process once again. Liara could feel the front of his rib cage against her back, which made her wonder if he could also feel the way her heart was beating so fast. She was enjoying the moment though, and felt slightly disappointed when he lowered her hands back to her side and let go, though it seemed unwillingly by the way he softly dragged his finger tips across the back of her wrist.

Slowly, Liara turned around, and looked up at Brook. The way he was looking at her was similar to the night of the fireworks, during the silent moment they'd shared once the fireworks ended.

Upon realizing he'd been staring, Brook uttered an apology and looked up to avoid any awkward moment that was to follow. Liara followed his gaze and noticed that some of the stars were starting to show. The sun was nearly below the horizon, signaling the end to another day. The sound of heavy footsteps was heard as Franky walked on deck, wiping grease off his hands from whatever he had been making. He came to a stop once his eyes landed on Brook and Liara, and waved his robotic hand around.

"Skull-bro, Liara-sis, we're planning to drink a little later on tonight. You in?"

Liara gave an embarrassed smile. "That sounds fun, but I think I should lay off drinking for a while. I'll probably stop in later though."

"Hmmm..I too shall pass. I think I'll play some music though, as it can be so relaxing to the ears, though I have no ears! Yo-ho-ho-ho!" Franky laughed loudly as Liara giggled along. Eventually the cyborg waved his hand off to indicate he understood and walked over to lower the anchor. Once it was completely lowered, Franky walked off, but not before he turned around and gave them a thumbs-up. "You kids behave now!" he said with a wink before heading back to his workshop. Brook chuckled nervously and rubbed his afro, while Liara's cheeks once again flashed pink.

**[Music-Treasure Planet: Silver Comforts Jim [Starting at 0:39]**

Night had once again arrived, and the Grand Line was calm and silent, minus the loud laughter and talking that poured out of the Thousand Sunny's kitchen. Brook and Liara were the only Strawhats not drinking at the moment; instead, they were laying out on the grass and watching the stars.

"That one kinda looks like a jellyfish," Liara observed as she pointed at a cluster of stars. "See the head and tentacles!" She looked over at Brook with an excited smile, seemingly proud she had managed to point it out. Brook nodded and grinned at her childish enthusiasm before looking back up.

"Ah! That one looks like a whale, just like Laboon! Yo-ho-ho-ho!" Liara laughed, and soon Brook joined in. The two of them lay like that for a while, just enjoying each other's company while watching the stars. Eventually, Liara propped herself up on an elbow and looked over at him. "Brook, what was your life like when you were alive?"

Brook said nothing at first, just continued focusing on the stars. Finally, he sat up,propped one knee up, and balanced his arm over it. "Hmm...well, I was a soldier. I learned most of my sword fighting techniques through battles. I've always loved music, ever since I was a young boy. Even when I grew older and was fighting, I would hum or sing, which is how I got my nickname Humming Brook." He paused. "I already told you about the Rumblar Pirates and Laboon, so I'm not exactly sure what else I can tell you."

Liara leaned forward. "I'm sorry for being so curious, but I must ask you...what color were your eyes?"

It was a question he hadn't expected, and not one anyone had asked him since his revival. He decided to create suspense by looking away and not saying anything. Liara's mouth dropped open slightly. "Awwww, are you really not going to tell me?" Brook faced her, and much to his amusement, was greeted by a playful pout. He chuckled.

"Well, I suppose it's alright to tell you, but don't tell anybody else. You're the only living person today who will know what color my eyes really were." Liara drew in a sharp breath and leaned even closer, the suspense nearly killing her.

"Violet."

He almost expected her to laugh at him, but instead she smiled happily. "Violet? How beautiful! I bet you swept so many women off their feet!"

Brook was quite flattered, but he shook his head. "On the contrary, I was mocked quite often. I have never been in love, nor has anybody been in love with me." He seemed embarrassed. " I was called "sissy-eyes" and other names that would try and make me seem more feminine. They were my mother's eyes, and I liked them quite a lot when I was a child. When I became older though, a lot of men would make fun of me for having such womanly colored eyes that I became very sensitive about it. That's why, if you were to look at my wanted poster from when I was alive, you'll see me wearing black shades. The Rumblar Pirates were like family to me, and in fact liked how unique my eyes were. I still continued wearing the shades though, so I didn't feel as degraded."

Liara glanced at him sympathetically. "Oh Brook, that's awful." She touched his arm and smiled. "I still think they would've been the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen, and it's a shame I wasn't able to see them."

Brook could practically feel his heart fluttering out of his chest, regardless of the fact that he didn't have one. He looked Liara right in the eyes, and leaned forward, so their faces were only inches apart. "Your eyes are by far the most beautiful I've ever seen; mine would pale in comparison." It was corny, and he knew it, but it was also the truth. He look at her bright blue eyes all day and not get tired of them. When he looked at them, he felt like he was at home again, near the ocean.

"Brook," Liara whispered, not really sure what else to say after such a compliment. Loud laughter from the kitchen drew the two out of yet another moment. The two exchanged smiles over their crew-mates' loud behavior, knowing at that moment that they couldn't imagine being anywhere else. They stood up and rubbed the grass off their legs.

"I supposed I'll go in for a bit before heading off to bed. Are you?" she asked.

Brook shook his head. "I think I'll stay out a bit longer and do some playing. Enjoy yourself."

Liara bowed her head slightly in understanding, and began walking off. She paused, however, and turned around. "Brook, you're a wonderful person. I hope you get to experience falling in love someday." Liara said with an encouraging smile. She turned on her heel and headed towards the kitchen, leaving Brook to stand alone. He walked over to his violin case, which he had brought up before stargazing, and slowly opened it.

"Oh miss Liara," he whispered to himself as he drew up his violin. "I think I already am."


	17. Fantasia Island

_**I'm really glad you guys agreed with my eye color choice for Brook. _**I thought some people might find it lame, but no negative feedback yet. : ]**_ Also, in case you guys are wondering what Liara would sound like, she would probably sound very similar to Rapunzel from Tangled. I got quite a few reviews! I'm ecstatic! Thank you all so much for the reviews and favorites! Also, thanks for being so patient on this journey. Let's get ready to find Fantasia Island. : ]**_

Chapter 17: Fantasia Island

On the fifth day at sea, Liara woke up to a violent thunderstorm. She had just finished getting dressed when a sudden rocking motion caused her to almost fall over. She grabbed onto the nearby dresser until she gained footing again, and carefully made her way out of the bedroom.

The moment she tried climbing the stairs, she was pelted by heavy rain droplets. Goosebumps spread all over her entire body, and her hair clung to her back and the sides of her face. She grabbed onto the railing and pulled herself up as fast as she could without falling, which was no easy task, as the stairs had become extremely slippery.

She finally made her way on deck, and saw Nami standing in the middle, shouting orders. Lightning flashed above, followed by a loud rumble of thunder. Liara would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't slightly scared. The last time she'd been in a thunderstorm she had almost been lost at sea. It was a terrifying thought, to say, the least, but at least she wasn't alone this time. Besides, the way everybody listened to Nami without hesitation showed that she knew what she was doing, and that there was no doubt of her getting them to safety. Nobody even looked scared, and in fact looked like they were enjoying themselves. They had probably been through countless storms, and this was only one more to them. Incredible.

"Hey! Liara! Good morning!" Nami shouted with a wave as the brunette made her way over. "Quite a way to wake up huh?"

Liara smiled but furrowed her brows as she glanced up and saw another bolt of lightening. She then redirected her attention back to Nami. "Anything I can do to help?"

Nami shook her head and waved her hand. "Nah, the guys have got it. Besides, we should be out of the storm very shortly. We're honestly lucky we haven't had any bad weather for the past few days. Usually we come across at least two or three a week." She nodded towards the kitchen door. "Breakfast is ready if you're hungry. It took a while for us to drag Luffy away from his food, so you might want to eat while you can before he decides to eat your breakfast too." Liara giggled and thanked Nami for the advice before making her way over to the kitchen, all while trying not to slip and slide. Much to her surprise, she saw Brook standing in the doorway, watching the commotion that was occurring around him. Upon noticing Liara's approach, he held out a hand for her to grab so she didn't fall over.

"Good morning Miss Liara! My, you certainly look chilled to the bone!" He gave out his usual "Yo-ho-ho!" laugh, which made the weather seem not as unpleasant. Liara gratefully took his hand and grinned, thankful for his assistance. She looked through the kitchen door and saw Robin sitting at the table, reading and drinking coffee, acting as if nothing was going on outside. Robin looked up, gave her greeting, and gestured towards an empty seat, where an untouched plate of fruit and blueberry pancakes, along with a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice, sat looking absolutely delightful. At the moment, Liara wasn't sure if the thunder or her stomach was louder.

Sunny exited the storm as soon as Liara finished eating. By the time she stood up to put her dishes in the sink, the rest of the group walked in, looking drenched. Sanji put a dry cigarette in his mouth and lit it before heading over to the sink and standing next to Liara. "Liara, my dear, why don't you go take a hot bath. You look soaked." Before she could protest, Sanji had his arm around her shoulder and was gently nudging her away from the sink. "We'll all go dry off after we eat," he assured her. She gave an appreciative nod and left, unaware of how Brook's eyes followed her every move.

After her shower, Liara sat in bed with a few pencils laying next to her and an open sketch book on her lap. She had been concentrating on the same picture for a while, sketching and using her fingers to mix the graphite. Slowly the figure began taking form, and the whole time Liara felt her heart pounding as she put the face that had been haunting her mind for nearly a week onto paper. At last, her work was finished, and as she looked down she found herself beaming.

Brook's face was looking right back up at her.

Liara eventually went back on deck. She clasped her hands together and hung them over the railing, which had finally dried off. Usopp, Luffy and Chopper were fishing on the opposite side, so she would often hear them laughing or talking. It seemed that not a minute went by without them making some sort of sound, and that was fine with her. It made the place lively.

She glanced over to her right as she heard footsteps approaching, and saw Robin walking over with a piece of paper in her hand; she had a mischievous look in her eyes.

"I have something that you might find interesting," Robin said as she held out the piece of paper. Liara looked at it curiously as she took it from Robin's extended hand. Slowly, she unfolded the paper, and was startled to see it was a wanted poster. On it was a man who appeared to be laughing, with a large afro, thick lips, a familiar looking scar on his forehead, and a pair of black shades that completely covered his eyes. She studied the face carefully before her eyes widened in realization. "This is Brook..." she verbally concluded. Sure enough, as she looked further down, she saw his name written in large, bold letters squarely underneath his picture.

Robin leaned against the railing, her eyes twinkling. "It is. I figured you might want to see what he once looked like."

Liara continued looking at the picture for a moment before she glanced up. "Why are you showing this to me?"

A kind smile crossed over the archaeologist's face. "I'm not a fool, and don't forget that I can clone_ any _part of my body." She laughed at Liara's alarmed look. "Don't worry; I don't spy on you. The only time I might have kept an "extra eye open" was during the fireworks, and even upon returning I could see you two had become close."

Liara sighed and glanced away, her cheeks tinted pink. "I honestly don't know if we have anything that would be considered close. I do know that we have fun together, and that I can be myself around him, but still..." She looked back down at the wanted poster. "I know I'm young, and that I don't have much experience when it comes to being in love, but what I feel with Brook seems deeper than just friends. " Her blue eyes glistened with worry as they met Robin's. "Am I weird for feeling this towards somebody who is technically no longer alive?"

She found herself wondering why she was even telling Robin all this, but she realized that out of all the crew members, Robin was probably the most mature one there. She had the wisdom of someone twice her age, and the understanding and kindness of a mother. Much to Liara's relief, Robin didn't lecture nor laugh at the situation.

"I think that love is the most precious gift to give, and it shouldn't matter if it's towards somebody of the opposite sex, the same sex, or even a walking skeleton." She smiled a little in amusement at that part, and Liara couldn't help but smile along. "If the love you feel is true, and not simply based off of lust, then I believe it shouldn't matter who you feel it towards. What you feel with Brook _is _acceptable, and you shouldn't care what anybody else thinks about it." Robin raised a hand up and placed it on Liara's shoulder. " Brook is a wonderful person who constantly puts other people before himself. Regardless of the fact that he is no longer a living man, he has the heart of one. We would all trust Brook without hesitation, and I think it's wonderful that you feel something like this for him. In fact, I think Brook might feel the same way."

Somewhere inside, Liara felt a twinge of hope that what she and Brook had was love, but she had to make sure first. Regardless, she was thankful for Robin's advice, and glad that she was able to speak out loud the thoughts that had been mentally messing with her for the past few days. She wasn't entirely sure what came over her next, but before she could stop herself she had walked forward and given Robin a hug. "Thank you," she whispered. It was a reaction Robin hadn't been prepared for, but one that she welcome nonetheless. She returned the hug, and as she pulled away, she looked behind Liara, where something had caught her attention. "Good luck," was all Robin said before she winked and walked off.

"Hello, Miss Liara."

Liara had been so busy running Robin's words through her head that she hadn't even heard Brook walking behind her. She quickly folded the wanted poster and placed it into her pocket before she turned around and greeted him with a smile. "Oh, uh, hey Brook. How are you?" She turned away from him and pretended to focus her attention on something out in the water.

Brook's jaw slowly shut as he titled his head a bit to the side and walked over to stand beside her. "Liara, do you have something on your mind?"

Liara suddenly felt really nervous. Her heart was racing, and it almost seemed like her insides dancing around. What she felt at the moment was oddly wonderful, and something she couldn't quite put into words. Slowly, her eyes made their way upwards to his face, and upon doing so, she could feel her heart skip a beat. Was this love? Did he even feel remotely similar? It was funny how he had no facial structure of any kind, yet she could read his emotions as if they had been perfectly etched into the front of his skull. He looked curious, and even a little concerned. He waited patiently for her to answer.

She smiled and shrugged. "Depends; how interested are you?"

Brook chuckled and crossed his arms over his torso. "Quite interested, but I would never force you to tell me anything." When he said that, it was a bit of a relief for Liara. To her, it was him saying that he would listen to what she had to say, and that she could tell him when the time was right; she just had to figure out what to say first.

"Miss Artist, I think you should come take a look at this," Robin suddenly called out from Sunny's bow.

Quickly, Liara and Brook strided over to where Robin stood, and followed her gaze. The moment Liara saw what was in front of her, she let out a gasp. Her hands flew to her mouth in shock, and her eyes widened.

"Hey what's going o...WOAH." Usopp became just as speechless, as did Chopper and Brook. Luffy had the grin of a Cheshire cat.

"HEY EVERYBODY! YOU GOTTA COME SEE THIS! LOOK!" Luffy excitedly shouted.

One-by-one, Franky, Nami, Sanji, and Zoro emerged from wherever they had been to see what the commotion was about. What they saw put them in so much awe that even Zoro and Sanji went "wow.."

_**[Music: Peter Pan-Flying Not Disney Peter Pan]**_

In front of them was an enormous island that glowed like the sun. Over it stretched a perfectly visible rainbow, that began and ended in the surrounding water. Giant trees appeared to cover nearly every inch of the island. Two large willow trees stood front and center, their long leaves dangling in front like curtains. Birds of pure white flew in front of the trees, making their own unique calling sounds as they took off. Purple and red birds that looked like flamingos stood in front of the willow trees, their heads lifting up from the waters to gaze at the new approaching visitors.

"This is...Fantasia Island." A tear of utmost happiness ran down Liara's cheek as the island she had dreamt about finding since her childhood blossomed in front of her. Brook smiled and gave Liara's shoulder a squeeze.

"Awesome Liara! We have one dream down, now nine more to go!" Luffy cheerfully exclaimed, punching his fists upwards in triumph. Chopper and Usopp cheered along while Nami patter Liara's back and congratulated her. Sunny was soon in front of the Willow Trees, and like magic, the leaves parted to allow the Strawhat crew passage.

It was as if they were in a different world.

Small, yellow birds were perched on tree branches that rested high above the stream Sunny was currently drifting on. The ground was mostly covered in shade, but little circles of golden sunlight danced along the floor as the branches above swayed back and forth from the gentle wind. Blue and yellow fish leapt up on all sides of Sunny, earning excited squeaks from Chopper and hand claps from Nami. A unicorn ran on the right side of the stream, which earned a gasp from Robin. "A unicorn? I thought they were extinct!"

"Uh, guys, I think we need to take some action here," Zoro suggested as he jammed his thumb in the air behind him.

Everybody looked forward and practically dropped their mouths open when they saw that the stream went up what seemed to be a large ramp. Chopper and Usopp ran around panicking while Franky ran towards the steering wheel to prevent them from flying off course.

Nami stood in the center of the ship with a hand on her hip. "Alright, we need to open the sails. The wind is going to speed us up, and we're probably going to end up flying for a little bit. This is just like when we went to Skypiea." Brook, Franky, and Liara exchanged confused looks, as they hadn't been part of the whole Skypiea experience. The group did what they were told though, and got into position.

Liara stood in front of the center mast and pressed her back against it; Brook stood next to her and wrapped an arm around the mast. Soon everybody had grabbed securely onto something, and all they could do was wait for their inevitable flight.

Sunny went up the ramp slowly at first, but then began to pick up speed. The sails fully bellowed out as heavy bursts of air pushed Sunny up. "Hold onnnnnn!" Nami called out as the ship suddenly shot upwards. Brook protectively placed an army around Liara, who had grabbed onto the front of his suit. She felt like her face was being pulled backwards by how quickly they were moving, and was thankful Brook was standing nearby to prevent her from flying off.

At the top of the ramp, Sunny shot off and flew over a large lake. The ramp had ended up turning into a waterfall that went into the lake below. A glow suddenly surrounded the ship as small balls of poured off what appeared to be onto every inch of Sunny. Once again, Liara's eyes widened as she realized what they were seeing. "Fairies," she murmured, scarcely unable to believe her eyes. Chopper reached his small hoof upwards in astonishment, giggling when one the fairies placed touched it with her tiny hand. The ship slowly floated downwards onto a grassy area, while on-board the Strawhats anxiously stood around, though none were more anxious than Liara, who couldn't comprehend the fact that she was about to step onto the legendary Fantasia Island.


	18. Welcome

_**-Collapses- I am sooo sorry about the delayed chapter! I've been working 40-hour, 5-day week shifts and when I'm not working I've been trying to spend time with my boyfriend and friends. Thanks for being so patient! [I promised I would finish this story, and I plan to keep it!]**_

_**I'm a bit bummed that I only received about 2 reviews last chapter. Please keep them coming in! I always look forward to them! -Nods- **_

Chapter 18: Welcome

Liara was still trying to convince herself she wasn't dreaming.

She was standing on an island that she had dreamt about seeing since she was a little girl. It was the same place she had drawn countless pictures of, had been laughed at for believing in, and had left home to find. For a moment, everybody around her faded into the background as she repeatedly blinked and tried to convince herself that what was happening at that moment was real. Her throat tightened as a wave of emotions piled onto her. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. _"This is it! I'm finally here!"_

And it was so, so beautiful.

"This place is amazing!" Nami squealed out as she clapped her hands together and dramatically kicked her foot up behind her. "You think there's any treasure here?" Her pupils seemed to resemble Berri symbols.

Liara's eyes continued to trace their surroundings. "I don't know of any treasure..." her voice trailed off as her sights rested on what appeared to be a faded, brick path that had become overrun by grass.

"Why is a man-made trail here?" Robin questioned in a quiet voice as she approached the path, almost as if she had read Liara's thoughts. She raised an eyebrow and looked over at Liara. "Were there ever humans living here?"

Liara shrugged. "Not that I know of, but then again, nobody really knows how old this island is or how many secrets are here."

"Let's follow it!" Luffy cheered as he pumped his fists up, an idiotic grin on his face. "I wanna see where it leads!"

Usopp sighed and glanced away, trying to show he wasn't the least bit scared. "Luffy, we don't even know what lives here! What if a giant monster attacks us?" He shivered.

"We should probably get back on the ship real quick and pack a few things to take with us," Franky suggested as he jammed his robotic thumb up in the air to point behind him, ignoring Usopp. "We have no idea what's on this island, or how long we'll be walking around."

Usopp bent his head in defeat and sighed as the group practically ran back to the ship in excitement. "They never listen to me." Brook chuckled and gave him a sympathetic pat on the back.

At last, they were all packed and ready to go. Liara had decided to slip into a black tank top with a blue butterfly on it, white shorts, and purple sandals with padding so she could walk comfortably for a while. She grabbed an orange bag and wore it on her back like a backpack. The only things inside were a sketchpad, one of her explorer books that had some information about the island, and a bunch of pencils that were held together by a rubber band. Her sword was wrapped securely around her waist.

When everyone had gathered back in front of the boat, Luffy anxiously ran towards the trail, his sandals clapping against the clumps of grass and bricks. "Let's go!" he impatiently shouted as the others made their way over to him. Liara stood in the middle of everybody, her fingers clutching the straps of her bag tightly. Her heart was pounding against her chest so loudly that she was sure everybody could hear it. A band of sweat gathered across her forehead from anxiety and the slight increase in temperature. The weather was nice, but not humid; it was about as warm as a summer night.

Slowly, the entire group moved forward in unison, following Luffy like he knew where he was going. "Keep an eye on moss-head," Sanji snickered as he exhaled cigarette smoke. "He'll get lost on a one-way street."

Zoro glared.

_**{Music-Atlantis: The Lost Empire-The Journey}**_

The path wound around trees of great height, whose trunks were covered with patches of moss. Everybody but Luffy looked at Sanji, expecting him to make some sort of reference to Zoro's hair. He began to open his mouth, but clamped it shut when Nami stared at him threateningly. She wasn't in the mood to break up a fight, and if Nami was going to be displeased, then he supposed he could skip insulting the swordsman for once. The group let out a giant sigh of relief.

The world before them seemed to warp into a beautiful jungle. Bird whistles could be heard echoing from almost every direction. Brook joined in and whistled along a couple times, making the atmosphere happy and pleasant.

Liara would sometimes close her eyes and inhale the gentle breeze that smelt pure and fresh. It was different from the city air, which was full of conflicting scents from smoke, food, and body odors. She almost felt like she was breathing in nature for the first time.

Multiple shades of brown and green piled on top of each other along the path. Vines dangled down from the trees' canopies; some hung either straight down or curved either towards other trees or little piles of rocks. Blotches of dirt covered random areas of the brick they walked on, giving off a quiet crunching sound as the tiny clumps of rock buried near the top of it was squished while being walked on.

Tropical bushes with light-green, thin leaves formed small packs beside or behind the trees. Sometimes, thicker dark-green bushes would appear near the tropical ones, with a few flowers popping out between the leaves. The flowers were shaped like sunflowers, and either had red leaves and a yellow center or orange leaves and a white center. They were very beautiful and quite big.

After a while of walking, the sound of a waterfall could be heard. They descended down a slight slope and came across a wooden bridge that stretched out over a small gap. Below was a large river of magnificent blue that could be seen flowing east through even more trees. The height from the river to the bridge wasn't terribly great, but could nevertheless cause some pain if one were to fall off.

A refreshing mist sprayed onto the Strawhats as they arrived at the bridge, instantly relieving them of any sweat that had gathered on them during the walk. Luffy collapsed on the wooden surface and lay on his back with his arms and legs spread out. His tongue plopped out of his mouth like a dog.

"Sanjiii! Fooood!" he groaned. Sanji sighed but agreed, realizing that it was probably getting close to dinner time anyways. He knelt down and opened his backpack, pulling out wrapped sandwiches and cut up fruit. Robin had been carrying the water bottles in her bag, so she passed those out to go with their meal.

Liara sat with her legs dangling off the bridge, enjoying the cooling mist and the view. The river sparkled from the rays of the sun, glittering as if it was full of diamonds. She closed her eyes and for a moment allowed all the scents and sounds of nature to infiltrate her senses. It was a heavenly feeling, and nearly one of pure bliss. She knew that as soon as she had enough free time, she would definitely be sketching out the scenery. Her eyes opened, and her lips spread out into a smile. She would be the first person to provide a detailed account of the Fantasmic Island. Goosebumps crawled on her skin.

Brook stood behind her, his head twisting around. He almost felt like they were being watched. Zoro looked over at him and frowned. "You sense it too, huh?" he asked. Brook nodded but didn't say a word. He was watching Liara. Zoro looked away. "Something isn't right here; watch your back."

"And you as well, Zoro." Brook said. He watched as Zoro walked towards a little area of the bridge and leaned against it. He closed his eyes and placed his hands behind his head while laying his head against one of the wooden poles placed at the end. Brook returned his attention to Liara.

He went and sat down next to her, his sandwich already half-way eaten. "What do you think of the island so far?" he asked as he dangled his long legs over the bridge beside hers.

Liara grinned and looked up at him, her eyes shining with excitement. "I feel like I've stepped into another world." She turned her face away so she could focus on the scenery in front of her. "It's so beautiful here."

He studied her face, admiring the glow on her cheek and the blissful smile on her lips. _"Yes, you are."_

**[Song continues]**

The group continued about twenty minutes later, feeling newly energized from the meal. More shade was visible on the ground as the sun slowly began its descent. The temperature had gone down a few degrees.

"We should find shelter soon," Robin suggested. The group murmured in agreement, aware that night would fall in only a couple hours.

They quickened the pace, eyes earnestly searching for anything that would make for a good camp site. After an hour of walking, the Strawhats finally emerged from the jungle path and into an open area. A chameleon scurrying by stopped, eyed the group suspiciously, and then climbed up a nearby tree. Its presence was ignored, however, as the group headed towards the middle of the field, feeling quite exhausted from walking almost half the day. Nearly all the water bottles were empty, and bladder issues needed to be dealt with. Luffy,Brook, Usopp, Chopper, and Franky all took off into some nearby bushes to relieve themselves, while the others decided to wait a little longer until it grew darker out to allow more privacy.

The sun was nearly touching the horizon by the time the boys came back. Sanji had already gathered some nearby rocks and formed a circle with them. Liara, Robin and Zoro formed a little group to go looking for wood for a fire, and Nami just sat and rubbed her aching heels.

Suddenly, a loud noise was heard coming from some nearby trees. It was the sound of somebody walking towards them, and with each step, the crunching of branches and dirt only grew louder. Liara followed Brook and Zoro's example by tightening her hands around her sword's sheath, preparing to strike if an attack were to ensue. She felt nervous, as she'd never actually had to use her sword in serious combat before. What if she missed? What if she looked like an idiot? She swallowed; her throat was dry and her hands shook.

"Show yourself!" Sanji called out in irritation. He wanted to work on preparing dinner, not fighting. The embers of the cigarette gave his face a reddish glow as he lit up the tobacco stick and stuck it firmly between his lips.

A figure finally emerged from the trees, revealing that of an old woman. She had pale skin, white hair that curled at almost all angles, and grey eyes. She stood at about 5'2", and was quite slim. Wrinkles were evident on her face, but only around the mouth and eyes. She wore a turquoise colored dress that clung to her waist perfectly, and a gold-chained necklace that had a bright blue jewel in the center of it. She gave a toothy smile, revealing perfectly white teeth.

"Ah, company eh?" she cackled out. "Greetings strangers! I'm Merida! Welcome to my home!"

**-I just wanted to point out that while it indeed seems ridiculous for a skeleton to have to use the restroom, there was an episode in the anime when he really had to. Plus, he does tell Luffy that he craps, so yeah...XD- **


	19. Souls

**Yeah, so I honestly don't have a reason for not updating this for a while. I'm sure I would've felt more motivated if I'd had more reviews. XP**

**Anyways, thanks to those who did review. I was asked if I named Merida after the young heroine in_ Disney Pixar's Brave._ To be honest, that's not who I was thinking of at the time. The name just seemed to pop in my head and I liked it. It seemed familiar though, so when somebody brought up Disney Merida I realized that's probably where I got it from. Anyways, things will definitely be getting interesting. Thanks for sticking with me for so long. We've got a lot of cool things coming up, including a few moments that will make you think _"Oh my God!"_ Enjoy chapter 19!**

Chapter 19: Souls

Liara liked Merida the moment she introduced herself.

At first, nobody was sure how to react. Sanji, who was respectful to all girls regardless of their age, introduced himself first with a slight bow and an arm placed diagonally over his chest. He looked around with his curled eyebrow raised, his lips pursed together as he waited for the others to follow his example.

Slowly, introductions were made around the group, with Luffy excitedly going next, followed by Chopper, "Captain Usopp", Brook [who had no interest in seeing Merida's panties], Liara, Nami, Robin, Zoro, and finally Franky, who of course posed while obnoxiously yelling out his name.

Merida burst out laughing after all names had been given. Her cheeks swelled up and revealed etched in dimples. "I like you guys!" she cheerfully decided. "Since you probably have nowhere to stay at the moment, and I highly recommend you don't sleep out in the open, why don't you follow me back to my house? There is a guest house close to my home that hasn't been in use for quite some time, but I do my best to make it presentable in case somebody does come around."

Luffy grinned. "Thanks grandma! We'll take it!"

Merida expertly led the way through the jungle. In her hand was a glowing white orb that looked like a large pearl. Its light easily brightened the way as darkness began to cloak their surroundings.

Usopp peeked over Merida's shoulder and looked at the orb with interest. "Say, how is it glowing like that?"

Merida didn't turn her head around, but continued forward with a toothy smile. " It's a gift to me from the fairies, for taking such good care of this place." It was all she said, and Usopp decided to leave it at that, regardless of his question not fully being answered. Still, he kept an eye on the foreign object, completely fascinated with the technology.

Small fireflies flew by, all with different colors. Shades of red, blue, green, yellow, orange, and purple flashed past the group, earning gasps of surprise and delight. "What sort of bugs are those?" Robin asked.

Merida chuckled. " They are called Neon Fireflies. I quite like them, the friendly devils." She held out a finger and allowed a firefly to land on it. Nami and Sanji backed away, clearly grossed out.

"That's so cool!" Luffy ran up to the bug and put his face only inches away from it, his eyes widened in excitement. His face glowed from the purple light radiating off the bug. Chopper ran closer too, hopping up and down in his small form to try and get a glimpse of the strange creature. Merida stopped down and held out her finger so Chopper could get a better look. He smiled cutely, and squeaked in delight when the firefly flew off Merida's finger and onto his nose. He giggled when the firefly took off, and rubbed his hoofs over his tiny blue nose. "That tickled!"

Liara smiled and held out her hands as the bug flew over to her and landed right in the middle of her palms. Brook bent down, his face inches from Liara's. He was pleased that the bug didn't seem frightened of him. He looked at Liara, noticed how pretty she looked with the purple light glowing on her face. The bug stood still for about ten seconds before it turned around once and flew off again, this time for good.

Merida cleared her throat and waved her hand to indicate they should continue moving. "It's important we get back as soon as we can," she said. Her curls bounced as she resumed walking, and the others followed.

Eventually they came across a small, light-yellow house that was sheltered under an enormous tree covered in vines that swirled around the trunk and branches. The vines were covered prettily with purple and magenta star-shaped flowers that had bright yellow stigmas popping out from the middle. The roof of the house was dark grey.

"This is my house, but I'll show you where you'll be staying before I give you the tour. I'm sure you're all exhausted. I'll be having a little fire over here tonight, so if you'd like to stop over you're more than welcome to. I'm sure you have many questions."

"You bet I do!" Luffy exclaimed. "Do the fish here taste really good? Can I have some meat? Are we having S'mores tonight? Do you- OW!" He rubbed his head with a pout as Sanji's foot and Nami's fist hit him hard.

Merida then led them to a two-story, light brown building that was less than a minute's walk away from her house. Vines covered in red roses climbed up the side of the building, giving a calm feel to the place. Five large, square windows with dark brown framing donned the face of the complex.

"Awesome!" Without waiting, Luffy ran through the front door, his spirits high. Chopper, Usopp and Franky ran in after him. Luckily, the door was wide enough to allow Franky's large frame entry. The crew seemed quite pleased with their temporary home. Merida chuckled and led the other members into the building.

The walls inside were a lovely shade of green, and all the floor hardwood. The living room, which was the first room entered via the front door, contained white furniture. There were two couches that could seat four people, and two lounge chairs. A large, wooden rectangular table was placed right in the middle. To the right was a wide-set of stairs that led to the second floor, where the guests were to sleep. Conveniently enough, there were six bedrooms upstairs, each with their own bathroom, a dresser with four large drawers, a night stand, and a queen-sized bed. Back on the first floor were four more bedrooms located towards the back of the house. A dining room and kitchen were straight ahead of the living room. Sanji seemed pleased with the kitchen. It had plenty of moving space, and a lot of shelves for storage. Pots and pans were neatly stacked on each other in a long drawer, all clean and ready for use. Another drawer was full of sharp knives, all with different styled blades. A stove stood against the wall, with an oven placed underneath. Dishes, bowls, and cups stood in a large cupboard, and another drawer held silverware. A large sink gave plenty of room for washing dishes.

"Wow! How pretty!" Liara gasped as she entered the living room and wandered into the kitchen. Her eyes widened in delight. She looked over at Merida and smiled in gratitude. "I like it here! Thank you!"

Merida waved her hand. "Of course, of course. It's not like it was getting any use, and besides.." she grinned. "..I like you guys! You're a strange bunch!"

Brook placed a finger under his chin. "Ah, speaking of strange, isn't it a bit odd for you to be all alone on this island?" Robin, who had been walking down the stairs, made her way over to their host. "I agree. It makes no sense. How have you survived, and who made all these buildings?" It wasn't asked in a rude tone, but rather in one of curiosity.

Merida's smile turned down a little, and a little sadness seemed to fill her eyes. "I will explain that to you back at my place."

They all sat around the bonfire, their shadows being cast by the bright flames onto the ground. Sanji had prepared a meal of vegetable stew and chopped fruit for supper. He made the meal not only to feed his crew mates, but also as a way to thank Merida. He decided to make drinks rich with coconut milk to go with the food. Merida claimed it was the best meal she'd ever had.

The only sounds heard were the crackle of the fire and Luffy trying to talk with his mouth full. He had managed to engulf an entire plate of fruit in one bite, and was now being served his second. Liara nibbled on her piece of coconut as she patiently waited along with everybody else for Merida to begin speaking. She had so many questions in her head about not only Merida, but the island in general. She looked up at Brook, who had seated himself next to her; Usopp sat on her other side. The skeleton glanced down at her, and watched as she grabbed another piece of coconut off her plate and held it up to him to try. "Want a piece?"

Brook slowly reached down and took the coconut away from her fingers, not taking his sight off of her face. He admired how the fire gave such a bright light to her eyes, and how beautifully her hair shone. Her lips were brought out even more by the shadows on her face. She looked angelic to him. He paused as his fingers met hers. He teased her by giving her finger tips a gentle poke, causing Liara to smile at his playfulness. He nodded in gratitude and took the food away, an amused grin on his face. Nami sat across from them, smirking and exchanging knowing looks with Robin. Something told her that Liara would be coming to her for advice real soon..

"So, uh, what exactly is the story of this island?" Franky asked. He had pushed his shades on top of his forehead. He had changed his hair to the style he had when he first met the crew.

Merida looked down at the ground for a moment, her eyes focused. She then closed her eyelids, and pressed her chin against her threaded fingers. All attention was on her, waiting for an answer. Eventually she looked up. Her expression was serious.

"This island is currently home to 999 lost souls."


	20. Explain

**Thank you guys for giving me over 50 reviews! I'm super happy! : D I'm currently working on cover art for this story, so hopefully it will be finished by the time the next chapter is finished. [If not, then I'll just get to it eventually.]**

Chapter 20: Explain

Usopp coughed up his drink.

Chopper's hair stood up as a shiver ran down his small body.

Gasps echoed throughout the group. Liara's breath caught in her throat as her heart began to race. She was shocked, and suddenly very afraid. Goosebumps crawled up her skin. _999 souls were trapped..on Fantasia Island? How could something so frightening exist on an island that was supposed to be the most beautiful in the world?_ She didn't recall reading anything about souls, nor did she believe something so terrifying existed on any island, much less the one she'd longed to see for so long.

Robin was the first to speak. "What do you mean? How can this island...how can there be so many?" She seemed too taken back to organize her thoughts into words. Her fingers curled up on her lap. She had been to many places in her life, and encountered many unique things. The closest they'd been to this scenario was Thriller Bark, where they'd met Brook. Even then, though, there had mostly been zombies, and certainly nowhere near to 1000 spirits or souls.

The only one who didn't seem remotely disturbed was Luffy. If anything, the whole thought only thrilled him. He sat with his legs open and knees extended outward. His hands gripped his ankles as his feet slapped together, causing his sandals to emit a clapping sound. "That's great! Hey, you think any of them would be willing to join our crew?"

"Luffy, shut up. We already have one dead person in our crew; we don't need another," Zoro flatly stated. He knew by now that regardless of how insane Luffy's ideas were, they were meant to be serious. They sure as Hell didn't need a ghost with them.

"That's right! Besides, I'm not completely dead; if I was then I wouldn't have a heart!" Brook opened the front of his suit to reveal a large but empty rib cage. His eye sockets widened in horror. "Oh no! Where's my heart?! I really am dead!" He looked over at Liara pleadingly. "Look Miss Liara! I'm empty! You can stick your fingers between my ribs!"

Sanji, who was sitting next to Brook, quickly did a handstand and kicked the skeleton right in his skull. Brook flew backwards at the impact, his spine smacking into a nearby tree. He landed on his head, with his knees bent and almost touching the ground. "Yohohohohohohohoho!" His jaw widened as he burst out laughing, clearly amused by his behavior. Sanji took Brook's seat.

"Liara dear, I punished that shitty skeleton for asking you to do something so revolting!" He looked over at her with an expression of romantic bliss.

Liara waved her hands around nervously. "Oh no no! I appreciate it, but it's okay. I know he didn't mean any harm! Thank you though!"

Sanji swooned. "Ah, truly the thanks of an angel." A goofy grin crossed his face.

Nami sighed and gave Merida an apologetic look. "Just ignore them; they're idiots."

The old woman chuckled. "Oh, I don't mind. They are humoring me, and that's something I haven't had for a long time."

Brook's laughter died down as a pair of hands sprouted from the top of his forehead and clamped his jaw shut. He looked at Robin, who had crossed her arms and shook her head with a polite smile. She seemed to be saying _"Now's not the time. Pay attention."_

"Please...tell us what happened." Liara suddenly said. She intertwined her fingers and placed them in the middle of her chest. She really wanted to understand the island as much as she could. There was so much she didn't know about it, and yet she had read countless books about the subject. How could the souls have not been mentioned in any of the books or stories she read? It just didn't seem right.

Brook stood up and dusted himself off before taking the vacant seat between Franky and Zoro. The group became silent and gave Merida their full attention, prompting her to once again speak.

She stared into the fire. The flames cast shadows over her aged face, and gave light to her grey eyes as she seemed to be contemplating what to say. Finally, she spoke. "This island is centuries old. The fish and other animals you see now were orginally here, but the first ones to truly discover it were the faeries. You see, they were on the brink of extinction. Everywhere they went they were killed. Faeries are automatically born with fairy dust, and that fairy dust gives off powerful magic. So powerful, in fact, that it is due to their magic that a protective ward exists around the island. Ever wonder why only the pure hearts can enter? Their magic makes it so." She paused. "However, even faeries have a limited supply of magic, and they do in fact age. I, myself am an example of this." She looked back up, unsurprised to see shocked expressions.

"You-you mean you're a fairy?" Liara asked in disbelief.

Merida laughed. "Of course I am! Faeries were originally the size of humans, I'll have you know!"

"Then why are all the others small, and not you?" Robin inquired.

" Because the faeries sacrificed their magic to keep young in order to continue protecting this place. If a faerie dies, then the magic surrounding the island becomes weaker, and eventually this place will be discovered and destroyed by somebody evil and full of greed." She paused. " However, it was suggested that one fairy continue to live and save up magic in case an emergency were to ever happen and extra magic was needed. I have enough magic to equal that of 100 smaller faeries, but I have yet to use it. The reason why I'm not dead yet is because some of the other faeries have given me their magic to keep me youthful. As you can see though, I have the appearance of an elderly woman." She waved her hand behind her. "We have the magic wishing waters because when somebody of a pure heart makes a wish, and only one wish, I might add, then we gain power from it. A pure heart has the strongest magic of all, and while it remains useless to a human, it is in fact a surge of power for us. Unfortunately, nobody has wished in the the waters for a long time, so magic is limited." She sighed and shook her head. "The lake no longer grants magic because it has been sealed. We know who is responsible for it, but we have no idea how to remove the seal. It's too powerful for us."

Sanji exhaled a cloud of smoke. "So where are all the people, and what about the souls?"

Merida's eyes saddened. "Those souls all belonged to the people who lived here at one point. Those roads and the village near here were made by selfless, strong people who wanted to appreciate the island. Unfortunately, one of them became power-hungry and used dark magic to absorb the souls of all the humans. It was he who trapped them, and he who sealed the wishing lake." She dropped her head and placed her hands on her knees. "Because those souls were forcibly taken, they are trapped and doomed to wander this island until the seal is removed."

"An-And can you see them?" Chopper squeaked out as he hid behind Usopp's sitting figure.

"Sometimes, but not usually. There is a realm separate from our own where the souls exist, and live their lives, but it's all merely an illusion. They're dead, and nothing can bring them back. Only when the seal is broken can they truly move on. Until then, they're all trapped."

Liara's heart thudded against her chest. The story was tragic, and she could tell by the sympathetic glances the group had that they felt the same. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked. She wanted more than ever to help save the island and its inhabitants; she didn't believe in such a thing called "no hope". For so long, the aged fairy in front of her had given up almost everything in order to protect the island, as had the other faeries. There just had to be something her and the Strawhats could do.

Merida opened her mouth to speak before pausing, leaving her mouth halfway open. Her eyebrows lowered, pressing against her upper eyelid as she seemed to be drawn into thought. She blinked a few times, and suddenly her face lit up. "I think I might have an idea..but I will need some time to figure it out. " She stood up, and a smile returned to her face. "I'm a bit tired, so I'll turn in for the night. Meanwhile, you are welcome to stay out here as long as you want. My home is especially protected, so you'll be safe. Follow the lit path back to the guest home." She gestured towards a path made of small stones that suddenly lit up a golden color "I'll see you tomorrow." She began turning away before pausing and facing the group again. "I think you should explore this place and learn more about it. There are many sights and creatures here that cannot be seen anywhere else. Have fun, especially you, Liara." The Artist perked her head up at the mention of her name. "You wanted to come here more than anybody else, so you should explore to your heart's content." Liara smiled and thanked her, as did everybody else in the group. They watched as Merida walked into her house and shut the door firmly behind her.

One-by-one they stood up and headed back to their temporary home. Eventually only Brook and Liara were left, bidding a final good night to Robin, who was used to staying up late but was also slightly tired from walking all day.

"You two have a good night," Robin said with a smile before leaving. She knew the two of them hadn't really been able to have a chance to talk since landing on the island, and knew that if Liara was going to share her honest thoughts with anyone, it would be Brook. So she vanished into the darkness, too tired to even leave an extra ear or eye around to spy.

Once Robin had left, the two remaining pirates sat in silence. Liara focused solely on the dying fire, allowing the small flame to breath warmth onto her hands and legs. She sat hunched over with her hands wrapped around her knees. Her hair hung down the left side of her face. She was honestly dead-tired. She was as tired as the night she'd been rescued from the Black Dragon pirates. She almost wanted to curl on the ground and sleep. And even though she was currently struggling to keep her eyes open, she found herself not being able to give in to her exhaustion.

Everything she'd learned from Merida had astounded her. In a way, it was almost too much to comprehend. Human-sized faeries, a curse, sealed waters, magic, 999 souls...she thought she had known almost everything about Fantasia Island. She had been proven wrong tonight.

Brook allowed Liara her brief moment of silence, knowing that she probably had a lot on her mind. Out of everybody in the group, he knew that she was the one most affected by what they'd heard. He tilted his skull towards her, and propped his elbows up on his knees as he spread his legs open to accustom to the wide length of his arms. He also hunched over so he could be more on her level.

"What are you thinking about?"

Liara's eyes narrowed in thought. "How such a beautiful place like this can have so many unknown secrets, secrets that are dark and sad. It's upsetting how nobody has even written about the faeries giving up so much just to protect this place." She gestured her hands toward their surroundings. "Their home." She crossed her arms over her chest and rested her chin on her forearms. "It's always been my dream to come here and now..." she paused and hid her face beneath her arms," ...I just want to be able to do something to help."

The skeleton paused, contemplating what he could say to encourage her. Slowly, he lifted his hand up and placed it on her shoulder. He gave it a squeeze to let her know she wasn't alone, that he and the others would be there with her. "We will help. I may not have been with Luffy as long as the others, but from what I know they've done miraculous things. " He chuckled. "Why, they even gave me back my shadow, if you can believe such a thing!"

Liara lifted her head up and gazed at Brook's face in astonishment. "You lost your shadow? I didn't know something like that could happen!" She looked forward and gave a small smile. "Then again, if a place like this can exist, then I suppose anything is possible. " She looked back up at him. "I don't doubt your abilities at all. Even though I haven't been part of this crew too long, I still trust you all with my lives. You're all so incredible, and I hope I can be as strong as you one day."

Brook gave an affirmative nod. "And you will be. You're already advancing rather quicky with your sword. In fact, why don't you give it a name? Most swords have names, you know."

"Okay, just let me think about it." On that note, she stretched her arms up and yawned. She stood up and rubbed her eyes. She really needed sleep; her heels ached from walking all day and she felt exhausted.

Brook nodded and also stood up, yawning in reaction to hers. "Well Miss Liara, we shall have quite an adventure exploring tomorrow, won't we?" She nodded happily and followed along, walking next to him down the glowing path.

When they reached the house it was silent. It seemed that since everybody was so exhausted, they had just gone straight to bed. Luckily a few little lights along on the stair wall and living room wall had been left lit, so there was no worrying about tumbling around in the darkness.

Liara stood at the bottom of the stairs with her hand on the railing. As she was saying goodnight to Brook, a sudden thought entered her mind. "Brook! I think I have a name for my sword!" she whispered excitedly.

"Oh, and what might that be?"

"Enchantress."


	21. Wondrous

_**Sorry for the late update guys! I wanted to make sure I was almost done with the poster thing I'm doing for this story before posting this up. All I have to do is finishing coloring and then it should be put on my deviantart. [Which, if you've forgotten, is amam2217]. Thanks for the people who reviewed and favorited last chapter, as I look forward to the reviews more than anything. Seriously, please review. : ] I thank all the people who do except for the ones who don't accept pms or are logged in as guests, because well, FF doesn't let me. Lol. Anyways, I hope to have the next chapter up much sooner. Thanks for sticking with me this far!**_

**Chapter 21: Wondrous**

The early rays of dawn peeked through the thin, white curtain, giving the bedroom a light-yellow color as gold danced through lace.. She lay completely still in bed, her eyes open and awake. A few birds called out to each other in nearby trees surrounding the building, bringing life to the dawn. She allowed herself another moment of comfort as she listened to the naturalistic song before deciding to sit up and stretch her arms up. Regardless of her receiving only about six hours of sleep, she felt awake, almost as if she had slept for an entire day. It could've been due to the fact that she fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow, or because she couldn't wait to start exploring Fantasia Island to her heart's content. Either way, Liara felt energized, and that was perfectly alright with her.

She removed the thick, white blanket off of her legs and turned around so her feet were touching the bare wooden floor. Her hair fell over her small shoulders, revealing tangled locks of brown. She lifted her foot up, wincing slightly at the abnormal skin color of a mixed green and brown. She wrinkled her nose; she probably smelt like dirt and sweat. Last night, she'd been too tired for a shower. Luckily the bathroom was only a mere second away from her bed, so now was as good a time as any to wash.

Liara scrubbed every inch of her body, especially her feet. The hot water relaxed and eased the tense muscles in her back and neck. She seemed to have slept in the same position all night without even a toss or a turn, causing her body to grow stiff. Thankfully, towels, shampoo, soap, and even conditioner were all supplied to give the full satisfying feeling of cleanliness. The soap smelt of vanilla , and she found herself closing her eyes as she rubbed the bar of soap all over her smooth, wet skin. Once the suds had completely dripped off of her, she applied the matching scents of coconut shampoo and conditioner into her hair, relaxing as her fingers massaged her scalp and soaked into her thick curls. About ten minutes later she emerged from the bathroom wrapped securely in a thick, light-green towel, with a smaller one piled on top of her head. She waited a few moments for it to dry before thoroughly brushing the knots out of it and disposing of the towels. She slid open the door to her small closet, chiding herself at first for fully knowing that her clothes were still on the ship, only to stare in absolute awe as she saw that somehow almost her entire wardrobe had been transported to her temporary room. It was a question she would need to ask Merida later, but for now, she decided on blue-jean shorts, a black spaghetti strap, white socks and a pair of black tennis shoes with blue strips at the bottom. Once she looked in the mirror and felt satisfied with her look and fresh scent, she left the room.

Loud snoring bounced off the hallway walls, causing Liara to giggle as she quietly crept down the hallway, silently praying that her footsteps wouldn't cause any floor boards to creak. Robin, Nami, Usopp, Luffy, and Chopper were all upstairs with her, while the remaining four members had taken the bedrooms downstairs. She was thankful that the walls were thick and that her room was in the very back corner. Trying to sleep with Luffy's snoring would be a difficult task indeed. Then again, she'd been so tired the night before that she probably could've slept through anything.

She descended down the stairs and entered the kitchen. Sanji stood at the stove, organizing all the tools and ingredients he needed for breakfast. Instead of wearing his usual black suit, he was now wearing an orange short-sleeved shirt, beige shorts, and white tennis shoes. As usual, a cigarette was perched in the corner of his mouth.

The moment he saw Liara enter, he spun over, swooning and waving his arms around ecstatically. "Good morning, Liara my sweet!" he cooed. "You look lovely as usual!"

Liara smiled. His compliments never failed to flatter her. "Good morning Sanji. Thank you."

He escorted her to the dining room, where he pulled out a chair for her. Robin, unsurprisingly, was already seated with a book in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. She acknowledged Liara's presence with a head nod. "Well, you're up rather early."

Liara placed her forearms on the table. "I know, but I actually slept really well last night. I guess I'm just so excited to explore this place that I couldn't stay asleep any longer."

"Quite understandable." Robin tilted her head to the side. "I must say, I'm impressed by your dream. You alone led us here, and I think it was well worth the trip. Quite odd how we seem to have our things. Even the kitchen seems stocked." She nodded her head towards Sanji's working area while Liara murmured in agreement. She set her book down, placed a bookmark firmly between the pages, and picked up her steaming cup. "So, what do you plan on doing today?"

Honestly, it was a question Liara hadn't really dwelled on. She was just so excited to have finally arrived on the island that she couldn't possibly even consider what do do first. Her lips twisted and her eyes rested on the table for a moment as she began running ideas through her head. Robin said nothing, only watched with an amused expression.

"I want to see as much as I can," she responded. " I want to interact with the faeries and try to discover all of the island's hidden secrets. But I think I want, more than anything, is to find the wishing waters." She gave a small smile. "Even if wishes no longer work, I want to visit the place so very few have ever seen, but that so many wish to discover."

"Then we shall find it."

Liara glanced up and saw Brook standing at the head of the table. She was surprised that she hadn't even heard him coming, nor noticed him standing there. Just like Sanji, he had also decided to wear something else besides a suit. His skeletal forearms were no longer hidden, but instead stuck out from the sleeves of a short-sleeved dark-red shirt. His legs remained unseen though, as he was wearing black pants and black shoes. It was a different but good look for him, or at least Liara thought so.

After he exchanged good-mornings with both ladies, he sat down next to Liara. Recently, sitting next to her had become a routine for him, and as Robin watched him sit down, she couldn't help but smile and wonder if anybody else besides her and Nami had noticed just how close the two had become, and by close, she meant **really close**. Liara certainly didn't look displeased about the familiar situation. If anything, she was practically beaming with glowing red cheeks and a happy grin on her face. Brook also appeared happy, as he was smiling the way only a skeleton as the bottom part of his eye sockets seemed to curve upward a bit, almost as if he had dimples. Robin merely took another sip of her coffee and returned to reading her book.

Everyone was awake and present at the dining table no later than eight-thirty. Sanji had loudly called for everybody, referring to the women as ladies and the men as shitheads. Calling for Luffy hadn't really been necessary though, as the captain had merely only to take a whiff of the food before his stomach loudly rumbled, interrupting him from his slumber. Zoro, as usual, was one of the last to arrive. He could sleep through a hurricane, much less Sanji's hollering [which he preferred to ignore most of the time anyways].

Breakfast went by in the usual chatty manner, full of laughter and yelling as everyone attempted to keep Luffy's snatching hands from reaching their plates. Even when his hand was slapped away he just laughed and continued to repeat his foiled attempts. Liara practically had to force herself to eat, as she wanted nothing more than to finish and start their little adventure. She even allowed Luffy a few swipes of her food just so she could finish sooner, though she planned not to let it happen as often in the future. She and Brook would often share glances before returning back to the conversations taking place, but it was enough for them to understand the same thing; for some reason they were both comfortable around each other, and enjoyed their time together, even if it was brief and only an exchange of looks. Liara was starting to realize that her relationship with Brook was different than the ones she shared with the rest of her Nakama. She had her own little bond with all of them, but there was something unique about the one she shared with the skeleton man. She realized that perhaps a talk with Nami and Robin were in order.

Once breakfast was finished and the dishes clean, they all met in front of their temporary home to decide groups. Nami suggested splitting up like they usually did whenever they went to a new island, and while she trusted them all to take care of themselves, the island was enormous and could cause them all to quite easily get lost. Therefore, she proposed going into small groups that could split off into two, but no one should be walking around alone. While the place appeared peaceful for the most part, there was certainly no question that at least a small part of the island was dangerous, especially since a curse had been placed and managed to kill up to 999 people in the process.

The first group consisted of Zoro, Nami, Franky and Robin. Since Nami was the best when it came to directions and Zoro was the worst, it only seemed fitting for the two to be near each other. Nami would be mapping out the island as they walked, while Robin planned on keeping an eye out for hidden ruins. Zoro grunted, knowing full well that he was deemed incapable of finding his way back to their home, but decided that arguing with Nami just wasn't worth it. Besides, Franky would be with them, and he at least would make things slightly more entertaining. Perhaps him and the cyborg could wander off and do some hunting.

Chopper and Sanji were the next group named. Chopper would be observing plants that could possibly go towards making medicine, which would allow Sanji to gather ideas for new recipes. He would also note the different animal species they come across, whether it be fish or birds. The Strawhats had to eat, and there was absolutely no way Luffy would settle for just eating fruits and vegetables. He was disappointed to not have any of the ladies in the group, but along with it anyways because Nami suggested it, and he would do anything for his "angel".

Finally, Usopp, Luffy, Liara, and Brook were placed together. Liara didn't mind in the least. Not only would it give her some more time with Brook, but Luffy was just as anxious to explore as she was. Usopp was hesitant, but perhaps he'd relax a little more once Luffy dragged him around. It was agreed that they were to all meet back at the house for dinner before the sun set.

The group finally split off, and once again Liara found herself walking next to the dead musician. Luffy ran ahead, with Usopp running closely behind as he yelled for his captain to wait. The two eventually disappeared from view as they ran straight, not knowing at all where they were going. Liara just watched them run, amused at how they dodged around bushes and leapt over tree roots that had managed to propel themselves slightly off the dirt ground. She knew that she had no need to worry about them, as they could handle themselves.

Brook chuckled. "Well, looks like it's just the two of us now, Miss Liara."

She wasn't sure what it was, but something about the way he said it caused her to turn her head so he wouldn't see the blush gathering across her cheeks. "It appears so," she murmured in agreement.

The two walked in silence for a moment before Brook began humming a tune. It was in no way familiar to Liara, but she found it to be quite catchy. She placed her hands behind her back and swayed her hips slowly back and forth, adding almost a bounce to her step as she moved her body to the music. The humming stopped however, as they both began noticing their surroundings.

_** [Music: Atlantis the Lost Empire: Milo Meets Kida]**_

Green was everywhere, along with bright red, purple, and blue star-shaped flowers. The bird calls could once again be heard, bringing even more peace and beauty to the atmosphere. The sound of trickling water could be heard next to them as a mini waterfall ran over sharp rocks of a slanted wall that grew upwards the farther they walked. Specks of sunlight danced on the dirt floor as the sun peaked through the dancing leaves of upper tree branches. A beautiful silver fox ran up out of nowhere, its thin fur only reflecting the sunlight even more. Liara gaped at the beautiful creature, and found herself wanting to just walk forward and run her finger through the beautiful strands of hair adorning its body. The fox only looked at the two of them for a moment before leaping forward and scaling one of the side looked back down with glowing orange eyes before fully disappearing beyond the walls. The sound of gentle padding in the water could be heard for a mere moment before it faded away.

The peaceful moment was interrupted by a yell from Luffy. "THIS IS SO AWESOME!" was heard echoing through the surrounding forest, followed by a scream from Usopp that caused any neighboring birds to fly away in terror.

Curious and slightly worried, Liara and Brook ran towards the noise. They both pushed away any leaves and branches that stuck out while making sure not to trip over and large rocks that just happened to be directly in their path. A stream of water emerged from the side and ran along in the same direction they were headed. They quickly leapt to the side to avoid drenching their shoes. After all, nobody enjoyed running with wet socks on.

They at last emerged through thick, giant leaves, only to find themselves on a cliff; the stream of water fell off of it like a mini waterfall. Usopp had fallen onto his behind in shock, while Luffy stood there with his jaw literally on the ground. Liara and Brook let out little gasps at the sight in front of them.

Enormous lizard-looking creatures with large beaks, long tails, and long feathers glided in perfect unison. Some had orange wings with red tips, while others had the colors reversed. The strange, foreign creatures were absolutely magnificent looking, and for a moment, all Liara could day was stare as she watched them gracefully fly through the air.

"Yahoo!" Luffy stretched his arms out so they latched securely onto the back of one of the creature's necks. He flung himself forward, laughing loudly as he flew onto the strange creature's back. The flying beast merely rolled an eye at the childish behavior, but continued flying on as if it didn't notice the new presence. Usopp's mouth dropped open in shock as he watched his captain practically throwing himself at the unknown creature.

"Lu-Luffy! You get back here right now!" the sharpshooter shrieked. Brook merely laughed, as Luffy's behavior was quite expected. Liara walked forward so she was standing next to Usopp's shivering figure. "Beautiful," she murmured, feeling completely entranced by the grace of bright-colored wings.

Brook strode up beside her, nodding his skull in agreement. They watched Luffy take control of the animal so it could soar higher. Unfortunately for him, the bird didn't seem to enjoy having its feathers so roughly pulled. It turned its head around to snip at the rubber man, who only laughed and swung his head around he could avoid having his face stuck between a beak. As the skeleton man continued watching, he couldn't help but look down at Liara and notice just how envious she seemed. Her eyes sparkled in delight, and a wide smile revealed excitement. An idea suddenly occured to him, one that he could only hope would work.

He tapped Liara's shoulder, causng her to be released from the spell of pure awe. As she turned her face upwards, she found herself staring at a skeleton's smile, one that she had become quite familiar with. She tilted her head slightly to the side, wondering what the skeleton required her attention for.

"Want to take a ride?"

Out of all things to be said, that was probably the last thing that would've crossed her mind. Still, she felt her heart practically jump in a giddy whirl as her eyes widened. "Do you think we could?" Was it possible?

Brook laughed, charmed by the excitement the woman next to his displayed. She was almost like a more mature, calm version of their captain, but the eagerness definitely shown through. He wrapped an arm around her waist, hoping she wouldn't be disturbed by exposed boney arms. Much to his delight, she wrapped her arms around, her arms of light peach-colored flesh. He eyed the pattern of the birds carefully before feeling satisfied with his decision. "Hold on," he whispered to her. She nodded her head and tightened her grip.

_**[Music: Escaflowne- Final Vision]**_

In a single movement, he lowered his other arm and swept Liara's legs up so he was carrying her bridal style. With a burst of speed he leapt forward and off the cliff, much to Usopp's horror. Liara gave a little yell in surprise by the sudden action, but knew that Brook wouldn't let anything happen to her. A gasp escaped from her lips as they landed safely onto the back of one of the flying creatures. Slightly startled, the bird tilted a bit before straightening itself out and continuing to fly with the rest of its flock.

The feeling was astounding. Cool wind swept through her curls, instantly ridding her of the strands of light heat. Her back was pressed against Brook's chest, while his arms had stretched forward to softly grab the feathers waving off the bird's neck. They flew high above tree tops, giving off a significant view. Liara blissfully sighed as she closed her eyes and stretched her arms out. Flying felt absolutely wonderful. If she was to be reborn into another life, she certainly hoped she could be some type of flying creature. Never again would walking be the same.

The creature suddenly flew down, and for a moment Liara thought they were going to crash into the branches of a tree. Much to her surprise, the trees suddenly cut off to reveal a little beach. Pillars of rock rose up in front of it, many with arches that the birds seemed to take delight in flying through. The water grew closer to them until the creature was nearly skidding along the ocean's surface. Brook lifted an arm up so Liara could crawl under it and dip her hand into the azure water. The cool liquid pleasantly tickled her fingertips, trailing off in tiny droplets as they once again ascended upwards.

The flock circled around, passing in front of the familiar cliff the pair had been standing on only mere moments ago. Usopp had finally stood up, but continued to watch them with absolute disbelief. He yelped as a hand stretched outwards to him, yanking him forward and landing him on a bird that was next to Luffy. Too terrified to yell, the long-nosed man held on for dear life for several seconds before finally relaxing and even smiling.

Leaning back against Brook's chest, Liara gave a content sigh, not at all minding the slight bump of rib bumps pushing lightly into the back of her head. She looked up at Brook, who just happened to be looking down at her. She smiled sweetly, and gave one of Brook's arms a squeeze. "This is wonderful. Thank you," was all she said before her eyes resumed staring at their surroundings.

"You're welcome, my dear," Brook happily responded. He suddenly realized that he was willing to do anything just to see her smile, and something about that made him nervous.


	22. Jewel

_Once again, I'm sorry for another ridiculous delay guys! I've been working on a cosplay for Youmacon and trying to get caught up in drawings. Also, I finally did the poster for Undying Devotion. Just search up Undying Devotion poster on deviantart. _**  
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_I'm excited because apparently my boyfriend of nearly five years is proposing to me at the convention, so I'm extremely psyched. If he doesn't do it I'm going to send all of you to kick his butt!  
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_Thanks so much for the wonderful reviews! They mean the world to me!  
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**Chapter 22: Jewel**

Getting off the strange bird had been a lot easier than Liara thought.

Once again, she found herself being carried in Brook's arms, and honestly, she didn't mind in the least bit. She clung on to him as he gave the creature a friendly pat on its neck before standing up with ease and leaping off. He seemed so confident in what he was doing that Liara chose to ignore the fear that was swelling up within her. She managed to stifle a cry as she watched the ground grow closer with every passing second. She gulped down the lump in her throat as she pressed her face into Brook's chest and squeezed her eyes shut. She knew Brook wouldn't let any harm come to her, but she was still frightened all the same. The skeleton merely chuckled at her adorable display of fear before his feet landed firmly on the ground; not a single bone broken.

Sensing that the danger was clear, Liara opened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at their surroundings and blinked a few times as she began to wander just where they were. After all, they needed to find their way back home by nightfall, otherwise everybody would worry. Brook set her down gently, earning him a "thank you". Over head the laughter of Luffy and Usopp had died down, meaning the two were probably off for another round of flying. Liara couldn't help but feel a tad sympathetic for the birds. Surely they must be growing tired! _"Well,"_ she thought to herself, _"that our captain!"_

"Miss Liara, are you alright? Not hurt are you?" the boney gentleman asked, hoping that their landing hadn't been rough on her in any way. Liara shook her head and smiled. "No, but thank you," she responded cheerfully before she allowed her eyes to once again wander. "Where are we?"

"Well, I had a pretty good view from up above, which allowed me to find our house. Sooo.." he pointed his finger straight ahead, "we just need to walk that way to get home."

Pleased that they weren't the slightest bit lost, Liara's smile widened. "Wonderful! However..." she clasped her hands together and stared at him questioningly. "How did we manage to fall from way up there without getting hurt? Your bones don't appear to be a bit cracked!"

Brook chuckled, trying not to look too pleased with himself. "Yo-ho-ho! Why, since I am merely skin and bones, I am as light as a feather! Why, would you believe I can even run on water since I'm so light?"

Liara's eyes widened in disbelief. "Re-really?! That's so incredible!" Truly, she was impressed, and this greatly flattered the skeleton man. Clearly happy with the compliment, Brook crossed his arms over his chest, which looked like it would bust at any moment with pride.

A sudden movement in the corner of her eye suddenly drew her attention towards a separate path. Whatever had moved seemed to simply vanish, but it sent a shiver up her spine as an eerie feeling surrounded her. Brook followed Liara's gaze, wondering what could have captured her attention so abruptly. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Liara?"

As if she'd been in a trance, Liara rapidly blinked to mentally awaken herself from the stare she had unknowingly worn. She glanced up at the skeleton in minor confusion before noticing his worried expression. "Brook..I..." she bit her lips and looked down at her sneakers for a moment before returning her attention to the path in front of them. "I know this sounds crazy, but I feel like..I should walk over there." She gestured towards the path with a slight nod of her head. "I think I want to go check it out." Without saying another word, she walked forward.

There was something about Liara's behavior that worried Brook. She had looked a little uneasy, and he wanted to find out why. He wondered if perhaps she'd only seen an animal or maybe one of their crew mates, but dismissed the idea immediately. If that had been the case, she wouldn't look so...frightened? No, that wasn't the word. She looked a bit intrigued, and maybe even curious. Understandable reactions, he supposed, but that didn't explain the goosebumps that were prickling on her arms. He could see her light-colored hairs perking right off of her skin.

He strode forward so he could walk next to her, and on a protective whim, slipped his hand into hers. She seemed a bit surprised at first, but welcomed the comfort as she gave his hand a little squeeze. Onward they walked, each wondering what they would discover at the end of the path. For all Liara knew, she could've just imagined the movement or mistook it for a leaf or animal. Still, she couldn't help but believe that she actually saw something or someone strange, and she wanted to find out what had captured her attention.

She also knew that she really didn't want to go there alone.

At last the path ended, and what they discovered left them in complete awe.

Before them was an abandoned village. Houses made of stone were over-run with moss and/or vines. Pieces of house hold items lay scattered near front door frames or around windows. A large well covered with cracks stood broken near the center of the village, showing signs of being unused for a long period of time. Slowly, Liara pulled her hand away from Brook's. She began walking around, her mouth open in disbelief. Her heart pounded against her chest as another shiver ran up her spine. Curiously, she walked into the first house she saw, a part of her hoping that maybe she would find somebody. However, she was only to be saddened by the chaotic mess inside. A table was flipped, dishes were broken in chunks on the floor, and shredded cloth hung from different parts of the walls. Something terrible had happened here, and she couldn't help but assume that it only had to do with the curse.

When she stepped back out she noticed Brook had also wondered into a house to check things out. Liara decided to continue looking around in hopes that she would at least gain some insight as to what actually happened. Her heart nearly shattered at the abandoned rag doll that law sprawled out next to a table.

_"Help...please..."_

Liara's whole body froze as she heard what appeared to be a little boy's voice. The voice seemed to be coming from outside somewhere, so she abandoned her task of searching the house and went back through the entrance. She swiveled her head around to try and see if anybody was nearby, but all she could still see were the abandoned houses and Brook continuing to walk around and inspect buildings.

_"Please...save us..."_

There it was again! She was certain it had come from her right, so that was where she walked to. On and one she walked, weaving her short figure between buildings and rocks, trying her best to follow the pleading voice that would echo around her every few seconds. Brook's voice calling out for any survivors faded in the background as all she focused on was trying to find the child who was crying out. She quickened her pace to a quick stride as she looked everywhere she could, wanting nothing more at the moment than to find and help the one who begged and pleaded. Her breath came out in little rugged gasps as her heart rate quickened.

_"Over here.."_

The voice was so much closer now. "Hold on!" Liara called out. She had to let the child know that he wasn't alone, that help was indeed coming. She broke out into a run as the anxious feeling inside her only grew, threatening to over come and swallow her in one giant gulp. A cold breeze swept over her as she entered a large that seemed to lead back to the forest. She looked around, wondering who had been calling her and why she was brought here.

_"You found me!"_

**_[The Prince of Egypt Soundtrack-The Burning Bush 0:00-4:08]_**

She completely froze. Her heart skipped a beat as she slowly looked to her right and saw a boy who looked to be no older than eight or nine standing next to her. His entire body was transparent green; wavy lines of the same color rolled off of him. His large eyes sung of innocence as he gazed at Liara with a hopeful expression on his face. The corners of his mouth turned upwards slightly . _"Please..can you help us?"_

The goosebumps that prickled all over her skin vanished in an instant as she saw that the child meant her no harm. She gave him a gentle smile as she knelt down so she could be on the same level as him. The boy walked towards her until they were only a few inches a part. Liara wanted to reach out and touch him to see if he was real. Would her hand go through him, or would he actually feel her touch? She didn't want to frighten him though, so she allowed her arms to hang limply at her sides. "Help? With what?" she gently asked.

The boy looked down sadly, twiddling his thumbs together . "I'm lost." He peered at her through his thick bangs. "We're all lost."

Realization dawned on her. He was one of the lost souls! Her heart wrenched itself with pity as she understood that this poor boy was stuck in a village he had probably been killed in or kidnapped from. He was so young, and hadn't been able to live out his life. The thought saddened Liara greatly, but she tried to look strong for him. He clearly needed her help with something, and so help was what she would give.

The boy reached into the pocket of his tattered pants and pulled out what looked like a glowing, purple orb. He held it out to her, while she looked at it speechless. _"Take it."_

She looked at him and then drew her attention back down to the foreign object. She licked her lips nervously as she inwardly pleaded with herself not to drop it before reaching a hand out and grabbing onto it.

The orb had a smooth service that felt cool against her palms. Surprisingly, it wasn't very heavy, which eased her nervousness a great deal. She could be quite klutzy, and she knew would be so angry at herself as she dropped, well, whatever it was she had been given.

"What is this?" she asked while continuing to stroke the strange ball.

The boy smiled and stepped away from her. _"It will show you where you need to go. Use it carefully, okay?" _He looked to the side of him, his smile growing even larger. " _How was that mama?"_

Liara almost dropped the orb as she fell backwards with a squeak. A woman who looked to be in her thirties appeared out of nowhere next to him. She was a lovely-looking woman with curly hair that fell to her shoulders. Although it was difficult to see what color eyes she had, Liara could see a gentle and kind expression fixed in them. Next to her appeared a man who was a few mere inches taller, who Liara assumed was the boy's father.

And that was when they appeared.

Children, teenagers, middle-aged adults, the elderly, and even babies; all of them formed in front of her. They all looked at her, their eyes pleading for her help. The air became full of sadness, yet she could sense hope too. Slowly, Liara stood up and spun around slowly to fully look at everybody. Families stood by each other, clinging each others arms as they all seemed to wonder the same thing-could she actually help them.

At that moment, she wanted to fall down and cry. All of these people, they just had to be the lost souls. What they expected her to do was unknown to her, and yet she knew that she had to do something. These people..they looked so sad and helpless. Her heart broke for their lives that were unjustly cut, and for the children and babies that hadn't had the chance to grow and experience life.

"W-what can I do?" Liara asked, trying to keep her voice steady. She wasn't exactly sure who she was talking to, but she wanted someone-anyone-to just give her an answer.

The boy's mother squeezed her son's shoulder and walked towards Liara until they were standing face-to-face. The woman smiled and gently reached her index finger out to touch the orb. Little streams of green light swam in through it, confusing Liara even more. She stared at the woman's face, searching for answers. The woman stepped away to rejoin her husband and son, but once she returned she gracefully held her head high. _"Merida...ask Merida..show her the jewel...we have faith in you Liara..."_

In a bright flash, they all disappeared. Liara shielded her eyes for a moment until the bright light faded away. Her eyes glanced down at the jewel, which she curled her fingers around protectively. She put it against her chest and closed her eyes, vowing to herself and the souls, particularly the little boy, that she would set things right and help. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a voice calling out her name. She spun her head around and saw Brook running towards her, a look of worry on his face. She felt a bit guilty for not saying anything to him, especially since she knew he felt unnecessarily guilty for her being kidnapped.

"There you are! I was looking everywhere for you..." his voice trailed off as he noticed the jewel in her hands. His eye sockets focused on it for a mere moment before glancing at the brunette's face. He saw tears gathering up in her eyes, and before he could ask what happened, Liara suddenly smiled and held the jewel out for him to see.

"Brook, look! It's so beautiful." She rubbed the circular object tenderly. He could only watch her as she stared at the object, and he realized he couldn't hold back his thoughts any longer.

"Liara, what happened here? What is that? Are you okay?"

She stopped fondling the ball and bit her lip. She lowered it back down and took a deep breath, wondering how to explain the situation. "The souls Brook; I saw them." His eye sockets widened. "A little boy gave me this, and his mother told me to show it to Merida, and that this would help them." She hesitated before her eyes met his. She half-expected to see scowling look on his face, thinking perhaps she was crazy. She knew she sounded psychotic, and she truly wasn't sure anybody actually believe her. Her face glowed though as Brook's jaw parted to grin, and he reached out and grabbed one of Liara's hands to give it a squeeze.

"Yo-ho-ho! Looks like we have some new friends to help! Let's find Merida!"

This time, tears did fall down Liara's face, but only because of happiness. She stuck the jewel into her backpack before leaping forward and wrapping her arms around the stunned skeleton. "Oh thank you Brook! Thank you thank you thank you!" She couldn't hold back a large smile when she felt his slender arms wrapping securely around her. He leaned down and placed a cheek bone against her hair. They stood in each others arms, their bond growing with each passing second, and for a moment, it was hard to tell whether they or the jewel itself was glowing more.


	23. Guide

_** So, I would just like to say that I now have a fiancee. : ] Yup! He proposed to me on Thursday night at the convention, and I am just extremely happy and on cloud 9 right now. : D I met somebody in the dealer's room/artist's alley who was not only dressed as Brook, but told me she had read this story! It seriously made my day, and I would just like to shout out to her and thank her for her support. It was so awesome to meet somebody who had read this and said she enjoyed it. Thank you!**_

_** Thanks also to the many lovely people who reviewed last chapter. I love all your reviews, and I thank you so much for making it to 23 chapters with me. Thank you thank you thank youuuu! Please keep the reviews coming! **_

Chapter 23: Guide

Merida hunched over her garden, her gloved fingers expertly prodding away in the dirt and creating small mounds for seeding. With a little huff she straightened herself up and yanked her wrinkled hand out of her white glove to wipe the sweat gathering across her brow. She'd been hard at work since dawn, preparing every inch of her enormous garden for future planting. A look of pride crossed her face as she examined each row of soil thoroughly, nodding her head in satisfaction. Gardening was what the aged fairy had turned to after the curse had happened and she'd ended up alone. It was a hobby she practically thrived on; her plants were her pride and joy, not just a food source. If anyone were to ruin even a speck of dirt, she'd kill them in a heart beat, regardless of how the other fairies would scorn at her.

"Merida! You have to see this!"

Eyebrows questionably raised, the white-haired woman looked to her left and saw two figures running towards her. Upon recognizing Brook and Liara, she gave a small wave and smile to greet her new friends. The young woman with brunette hair hesitated a bit as she noticed the garden, so she ran off to the side to avoid running on it. Brook, unfortunately, didn't really take the hint or notice what was below him. He slowed his running down to a quick stride, but nevertheless stepped all over Merida's work. Liara seemed to not really notice what he did, so as she took deep breaths to slow down her racing heart as she shrugged off her back pack and unzipped it to pull out the jewel.

"Merida, something incredible happened! I was told to talk to you about this and...Merida?" Liara's brows furrowed in worry as she watched the old woman's usual cheerful exterior transform into that of something terrifying. An aura of seething rage surrounded the fairy as she took in the sight of her freshly planted soil trampled and ruined. Brook followed her gaze, his head spinning a perfect 360 degrees before a terrified look crossed his face as he registered what he had done. Before he could even utter an apology, Merida let out a scream and chased after the skeleton man. Brook let out a yelp as he took off running, the two of them continuously circling around the field and bellowing out a mixture of yelling and frightened laughter.

"I must say, she has me feeling scared for my life...though I'm no longer alive! Yo-ho-ho-ho!"

"Get back here you good-for-nothing sack of bones!"

"Yo-ho-ho! I dress my bones quite nicely, and certainly not in a sack!"

Liara let out a sigh as the insults and jokes piled on top of each other. She shook her head and glanced down at the orb glowing between her curled fingers. She watched as the green lines danced around each other, almost like they were having their own little waltz. There was something slightly beautiful about it, and yet eerie at the same time.

Merida had given up on chasing the skeleton, deciding it wasn't worth her time to shoot threats at somebody who was already dead. She slowed down and grabbed on to her knees to catch her breath. Brook nearly fell over when he turned his head and saw his attacker had given up her pursuit, but that still didn't take his fear of her away. She shot him a look that fully let him know he hadn't won. If spit still flowed in his mouth, he would've swallowed it all in a giant gulp.

A glow in the corner of Merida's eye drew her attention away from the nervous musician and instead focused on the circular securely placed in Liara's hands. Curious, she made her way over to the younger woman and stood beside her, peering into the object responsible for emitting the light purple rays. A feeling of familiarity suddenly came over her, and it was all she could do to grab onto Liara's arms so she didn't collapse. The Artist jumped in surprise at the sudden contact, her mind no longer consumed by the jewel.

"Are you okay?!" Liara exclaimed as she grabbed onto her friend's arm to steady her, her grip firm but gentle.

Merida slowly nodded, her attention focused on the orb. "Where...where did you get that?" she quietly asked as her eyes widened. Satisfied that the older woman would keep her balance, Liara let go of Merida's arm and held the jewel out to her. "I was told to show this to you," she responded. "One of the souls told me to." A chill ran up her spine the moment _souls_ left her lips.

Carefully, Merida took the purple object and examined it closely while Liara watched her face, hoping for some answers. She licked her dried lips."You actually talked to one of them?"

Liara bit her lower lip and nodded. "I saw so many of them. They were in the village. A little boy gave this to me.." she gestured at the orb, "and his mother told me to ask you what it was."

Brook made his way over to the two ladies, wondering what words they could be exchanging. He made sure to standing next to Liara though, in case Merida had any skull-wrecking ideas.

"This is the secret to discovering the wishing lake," Merida breathed out. Liara's lips parted as she fought conceal her overwhelming excitement. She couldn't believe that she was so close to discovering the most magical part of the whole island, and to think it was in the palms of her hands!

Merida gave the orb a thoughtful tap. "Let's all meet in front of my house tonight; I'll explain everything then."

The day had gone by rather slowly.

Brook and Liara had continued to explore more of their surroundings, but made sure to stay close to the guest house. Brook knew he wasn't as anxious about discovering the lake like Liara was, but he was still thrilled by the whole idea. He was glad that he was able to be by her side as she experienced her dream coming true, and only hoped that when it was all over, he could continue to remain beside her.

Liara had requested stopping and eating for a little bit so she could have an opportunity to do a few sketches. Brook watched her the entire time, entranced by how skillfully her thin fingers held the pencil and swiped it across the page. Outlines took form, and eventually detail and shading followed. They sat there for about an hour in silence, enjoying each others company and the sounds of nature echoing around them.

After a decent amount of progress in the drawing, the pair returned to the village to explore a little more to try and get an idea of what had happened. Unfortunately, no diaries or paper with helpful information were lying out in the open, which only led to guesswork and slumped shoulders. Liara simply couldn't guess what event could have possibly involved so many people dying. No bodies were around, nor any stains of blood. She could only hypothesize that powerful magic had been involved, and it was probably the same magic responsible for cursing the wishing lake. A worrying thought continuously gnawed at the back of her mind: did they even have a chance to defeat such a powerful force?

Finally, the sun started to set, and Liara and Brook returned to their temporary home to meet up with everybody else. The crew had started arriving back slowly, with Usopp and Luffy being the last ones to return. Sanji had already been preparing dinner when Liara and Brook had arrived, and finished serving it by the time they were all seated. Liara informed them of the meeting at Merida's house, and were quite taken back by her story involving the souls. Like Brook, they all unhesitatingly believed her, proving to her once again that their trust bond was definitely strong.

Once dinner had been finished, they all headed towards Merida's house. Merida stood waiting for them underneath one of the giant trees looming over her home. She patiently waited for everybody to stop talking before revealing the orb. Luffy and Nami immediately ran towards it with their eyes lit up, though Luffy's were from excitement and Nami's was, well, from greed.

"Ooo how lovely!" Nami sung out, her pupils flashing into berri signs. Merida shook her head and pulled it away from Nami's money-hungry eyes.

"My dear, this is not some pile of money waiting to be snatched. This is something needed to show you where Cerulean Lake is, or the wishing lake, as it is known to you."

Zoro smirked. "Cerulean Lake? Really? Couldn't come up with a more creative name?"

Merida shot him a nasty glare. "Green hair? Really? Moss-head much?"

The entire group burst out laughing while Zoro gave them all a death-stare. Once the laughter had died down, Merida resumed her talking,

"Anyways, this orb is needed to show you all where it is. There is a cave nearby with a hidden cavern inside it. However, the cave will not open unless it detects the presence of the orb. Once inside, set the orb down on a round stone table in the back. After you do that, you should be able to figure out where to go." She glanced around the group. "I would only recommend three of you going in, with the obvious one be Liara." She handed the jewel over to Liara carefully. The brunette rubbed it thoughtfully, butterflies fluttering like crazy in her stomach. This was all she needed to find Cerulean Lake, and the only one who could activate it was her. She wasn't exactly sure why she'd been the one chosen for the task, but it was one she happily accepted.

"I don't mean to be rude, but why can't you show us where the lake is?" Usopp asked. He found it odd that somebody who had lived on the island for such a long time didn't even know where the lake was. He knew he wasn't the only one who had been thinking that, as the others automatically looked at Merida for an answer.

The faerie sighed sadly. " I used to, but once the curse was placed the lake was suddenly hidden. I know for a fact it's here, but it won't show itself until the orb needed to seek it has been entrusted by the souls onto somebody with a pure heart. Whether it's because of the curse or the lake actually having a spirit is beyond me, but either way I have no clue as to where it is." She turned around and began walking, motioning the pirates to follow her. Chattering excitedly, they obeyed. Liara had to keep re-gripping the jewel a few times to make sure her sweaty palms didn't drop it.

After walking for a few minutes, they arrived at a large cave with writing written on the entrance to it. Robin was instantly fascinated and walked forward to run her fingers gently over the foreign words.

"What does it say?" Franky asked as he lifted up his sunglasses.

"This...will open..to the one..who has been...chosen," the archaeologist carefully read. She placed a hand on her hip and nodded at Liara. "Guess that means you, Miss Artist."

With cheeks crimson from pride and embarrassment, Liara walked forward and stood in front of the door. The letters glowed a light green before dimming. The stone then rolled away, revealing a very dark and narrow tunnel. She turned around and looked at her anxious crew mates. Merida waved her hand at the Straw hats. "Choose two to enter in with you, my dear."

Liara had thought about it on the way over, and felt satisfied with her decision. She believed her friends would understand and support her decision. "I choose..." she took a deep breath, "Brooke and Robin."

She had expected to see a disappointed face or two, but luckily nobody gave her a hard time. If anything, she was given a few nods of approval, and a skeletal grin from Brook.

"Are you ready?" Robin asked, now standing next to Liara. She was smiling as well, but she figured she would have been one of the ones to go in. After all, nobody was more resourceful about ruins than her, so she was a very obvious choice. Brook being chosen as well was also unsurprising, as the whole group had noticed just how close the two had become.

Liara nodded towards Robin, gave a soft smile to Brook, and then turned to face the dark tunnel.

_**[Music: Mass Effect 2- The Normandy Reborn]**_

The moment the three of them walked in, thin lights of green spread out across the walls. The lights gave a bright enough glow that revealed the tunnel's floor and rocky surface of the walls. Like long fingers, the lights reached ahead to reveal a small space that had a circular stone table in the middle. Liara walked past her two friends and searched the surface carefully until she found a circular dent placed directly in the center of it. She looked down at the orb, now glowing even more brightly between her fingers, and set it down carefully in the little indent. Green sparks suddenly shot out from the orb, and Liara's eyes lit up excitedly as she witnessed it starting to spin at an alarmingly fast rate. The three of them gasped in unison as the jewel suddenly levitated off the table while still spinning, and waves of green light bouncing off of it. The pirates quickly turned their heads as they watched the light shoot out of the cave, as if beckoning to be followed. Without asking questions, the three of them took off running.

Upon exiting the cave, Liara noticed Luffy had already bolted after the light, and the others weren't far behind him. "This way, my dears!" Sanji cooed out as he ran only a little ahead of the three ladies, who were sprinting as fast as they could; Merida merely walked behind with a knowing grin on her face. She'd catch up to them eventually.

Liara ran alongside Brook as fast as she'd ever run before. She jumped over fallen branches and dodged pesky bushes and trees that stood in her way. Her breathing started coming out in pants and her heart pounded against her rib cage but she didn't care. All she knew was that she was finally going to see Cerulean Lake and she didn't want to wait another moment.

Eventually she crashed through an enormous leaf and almost smacked into the back of Franky. The sound of water crashing in all directions filled her ears, but the noise was neither deafening or unpleasant. She gulped and closed her eyes, knowing that what she was about to see was the fabled Cerulean Lake, the place she'd read about in all those books she'd practically memorized as a kid. She felt bones wrapping around her fingers, and smiled as she gave Brook's hand a small squeeze. She knew he was letting her know that he was there for her, and she appreciated it. He gently pulled her to the side so she avoided running into the cyborg, and forward a few feet. "Open your eyes," he whispered while rubbing circular motions on the back of her fingers. He slowly pulled away, and watched as she took a deep breath before opening her eyes.

Blue pupils widened at the sight before her, and her lips spread apart in awe. "Oh my..."


	24. Under It All

_**Yay! My second poster is almost finished! : ] Also, I am going to strongly suggest listening to the music from here on out because you'll really feel connected to the story if you do. It's all music that can be found on youtube, and while you don't have to listen to it, it really does make the story seem more real. I have been trying to make this story seem like you were watching a One Piece movie, which is one of the reasons why I end up drawing pictures of Liara and Brook. [Her hair seems to change...it's going from frizzy to curly now in my drawings. Lol. That's good though, as I wanted her to have curly hair in the first place.] Anyways, please continue to review this story because they always make my day and I love them to pieces! Thanks guys! **_

Chapter 24: Under It All

**[Music: Snow White and the Hunstman- Sanctuary]**

Time seemed to freeze, and for a moment, the rest of the world ceased to exist. In front of her lay the bluest of waters, with waterfalls from five different directions all pouring their magic nectar into it like a fountain. Even under the setting sun the lake's surface glimmered, reflecting surrounding trees and other plant life beautifully like a watercolor painting. Part of her wanted to fall on her knees and cry in disbelief at finally finding the place so many refused to believe in, while the other half strongly wished for some paper and pencils so she could draw the beauty she would want to look at every day for the rest of her life. Instead, she continued to stand there, gaping with her mouth open like a dying fish. She was thankful nobody was saying anything to her, but such silence could only last for such a short amount of time, especially with this particular group.

"Woah! That looks so awesome!" Luffy yelled out, chasing away the silence like a storm would on a cloudless day. Liara wasn't upset though; she just smiled with a little sigh, knowing that she shouldn't have expected anything different from their easily excited captain. On the bright side,the others remained rather quiet, as they all seemed to be just as astonished by the scenery as she was.

"This is quite beautiful," Robin mused as she finally walked forward to get a better look. Liara followed her example and slowly began approaching Cerulean Lake, pacing herself in case something odd were to happen. She truly wondered if it was all an illusion, just playing with her mind and toying with her senses. True, the water and grass carried positive scents, and the melody of waterfalls played loudly against her ear drums, but that didn't stop her from having to poke herself in the arm a few times to make sure she hadn't fallen, smacked her head on the floor in the cave and was suddenly warped into a beautiful dream. Once again, she felt boney fingers squeezing her hand, a type of physical contact she'd recently started to become quite familiar with. It was also one she was starting to wish happened more often, and whether she should be scared or happy confused her to no end. Perhaps she should discuss it later with Robin and Nami.

"I'm with you Liara," the skeleton said as he stood closely beside her. He squeezed her hand again before pulling away, causing Liara to sigh a bit at the loss of contact. Nonetheless, she was very appreciative of his support, so she nodded her head and thanked him.

A gentle breeze tickled her exposed legs and arms, sending a shiver across her whole body. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the peaceful feeling for a moment longer before continuing her walk forward.

She finally reached the water, and bent down to stick her hands underneath the liquid's surface. A gentle rippling effect spread over the back of her hands as she allowed the cool liquid to flow around her fingers. The water was quite warm, but evidently cooling down as the sun began to dip beneath the horizon line. Even with the curse Liara could feel magic flowing along her fingertips.

Sensing somebody next to her, she glanced up and saw Merida looking out towards the lake with a sad smile on her face, causing the wrinkles around her eyes to crinkle upwards. "This place looks exactly the same as when I last saw it," she reminisced to herself. "Still so beautiful, still so full of...magic." Liara sat down and brought her hands back up, shaking the dripping water off her fingers before resting them on her knees. Clearly this place held some memories for the faerie, some of which apparently brought sadness.

"Liara, I believe I have an idea of a possible way to unlock this curse." Merida narrowed her eyes without looking down at the young woman. "The mermaids have given me something that would allow you to venture into the lake and swim in its depths while being able to breathe for a certain amount of time."

Liara's eyes widened. "You mean...I would be able to breathe underwater?" she asked in disbelief.

Merida nodded. "Yes. You see, there is said to be drawings on the wall beneath the lake's surface. These drawings are supposed to contain the very answer needed for unlocking the heart of this..." she gestured towards their surroundings ," ...place. Unfortunately, faeries are not able to swim, otherwise I would've looked for myself all those years ago. I only know of this idea from listen to talk between the villagers. I can't say for sure that the answer is under there, but it's worth a try."

Liara stood up so they could be closer to eye-level. She contemplated carefully what she was hearing, trying to make sense of it all in her head. Could the curse be lifted so simply? Was it even remotely possible? She certainly wouldn't be getting any answers by standing around, so she agreed to Merida's plan.

Pleased with Liara's cooperation, the old woman stood closer and waved for the artist to lower her head some more so they could exchange whispered words clearly. " My dear, I think you should bring your skeleton friend with you when you do this."

"Re-really?" she stammered. "Why him?" She wasn't at all displeased by the idea, just shocked.

"You seem to have the strongest bond with him, and having somebody you trust your entire being to while doing this makes the adventure more fun, don't you think?" Merida answered with a wink.

"I'm not sure that will work though," Liara sighed with a slight shake of her head. "He ate a devil fruit, and devil-fruit users aren't able to swim."

Merida smile and placed a hand on her shoulder. "These waters are magic, meaning they contain properties the ocean and other waters of the world don't posses." She continued upon seeing Liara's confused look. "You see, this lake only works for the pure of heart, and regardless of the fact that your friend doesn't posses a literal beating heart, he still has the emotions of one who does. Therefore, his devil fruit powers will be cancelled out, and he'll be able to swim."

She was still puzzled, but if Merida believed Brook would be able to swim with her, then that was good enough. She nodded in thanks and faced the water, trying to ignore the heat that steadily rose to her cheeks. Unfortunately, the faerie noticed this.

"You love him, don't you?"

Out of all questions to be asked, Liara hadn't expected that one to come out. Her cheeks grew pink, and it was all she could do to look at the ground and shuffle her feet like a child who was caught. She took a deep breath and finally met Merida's twinkling eyes. "I..I don't know," she answered honestly, nervously twirling a finger in one of her chestnut curls. "This is all new to me and I'm trying to figure it out."

"Ahh, that's alright. It's important to figure these things out before you act on them anyways," Merida nodded in approval. "Anyways, I think that skeleton likes you too, which is another reason why I'm sending the two of you together." She cackled at how embarrassed Liara looked, which drew attention over to the two of them. Knowing that her friend didn't want to be the center of attention in such an embarrassing moment, Merida winked and told her to bring Brook over to her place in the morning. "Oh, and maybe a bathing suit too," the old woman called over her shoulder.

Brook walked over to the blushing young woman, who didn't face him in fear of him noticing her flustered expression. "Liara, are you okay?" he asked.

With a deep breath Liara turned around and prayed he didn't notice her sudden bashfulness. She smiled, explained the plan to him, and then excused herself, though she didn't really want to dismiss his company; she just really needed to find the only other females that were part of their wacky crew. Brook watched as she took off, trying to dismiss the worrying thoughts in his head and instead focus on how he would finally be able to swim again, well, at least for a little while.

Liara quickly sought out Nami and Robin, both of who were standing near the water and watching Usopp, Chopper, and Luffy splashing around in the shallow ends. She approached the women and asked to speak to them later. Luckily, they agreed, and all three left right away, but not before Nami ordered Franky to keep an eye on Zoro so the swordsman didn't get lost. Zoro was not amused.

The room they decided to talk in was Robin's bedroom, and luckily Robin had an eye placed outside the room in case any of the boys were nosy enough to try and over hear the conversation. All three of them sat comfortably on Robin's bed, with Liara in the middle. She twiddled her thumbs nervously, trying to think of what to say. She had to get it off her chest, but she really hadn't put much thought into how she was going to initiate the conversation.

"This is about Brook, isn't it?" Nami asked with a grin. The way Liara's cheeks turned the color of cherries immediately confirmed what both Nami and Robin had been guessing on the walk back. Liara pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on the small gap between them. She nodded slowly. "I...I don't know what to do. I'm so confused by my feelings."

Robin smiled. "Well, how do you feel around him?"

A dreamy look glazed over the Artist's eyes. "I feel like I can talk to him about anything. I feel a little sad when we're away from each other, and lately I've been having a strong urge to hold his hand. He makes me happy, and we're always laughing together. When I feel sad, I want nothing more than for him to hold me." Her eyes widened as realization dawned on her. "Am I...?"

"In love with him? Pretty sure that's the case here," Nami chuckled. "I think it's great though, and I'm pretty sure the rest of the crew will support you guys too. Sanji is the only one who would really need convincing, but only because of how hopelessly devoted he is to us." She rolled her eyes.

"I am with Miss Navigator," Robin agreed, "and we won't say a word to anybody else. If Brook is to hear those words, then it should be from your lips and yours alone. "

Liara curled into a vertical ball. "I really am in love with him," she murmured, feeling a bit of happiness and disbelief.

When morning arrived, the first thing she did was lay in a hot bath. She closed her eyes as she let the steaming water flow across her body, wiping off any dirty particles as if she was a board having all chalk marks erased. The conversation she'd had with Nami and Robin from the night before replayed over and over again in her mind. She had a lot to consider. Should she even confess to Brook? The lower half of her face disappeared beneath the water's surface. Like a child she blew bubbles with her mouth in the water, feeling amused for only a second before her worries settled back in. She'd never been in love before, but she knew that the moment had to be right. But there was the troubling thought that continued to nag her in the back of her mind: what if she didn't feel the same towards her? She'd feel humiliated! Liara took a deep breath and completely submerged herself in the water.

As planned, Brook and Liara headed over to Merida's the moment breakfast was over. The old woman shot Brook a warning look as she worked on her garden, daring him to try and ruin her work again. The skeleton cringed and hid behind Liara, earning a satisfied smirk from the fairy.

"Good morning, you two. Are you ready?"

They both nodded. "Good," Merida said. "Hold on for a moment." The old woman took her gloves off and walked into her house, causing Brook and Liara to wonder what she was doing, but did so with patience. Merida quickly reappeared through her doorway with a bottle of blue liquid in her hands.

"This is what will allow you both to breathe underwater, but only for an hour," she explained when she noticed Brook and Liara's curious looks. They nodded in understanding.

"How was this made?" Liara asked, wondering how the mermaids were able to create a potion, and such a helpful one, nonetheless.

Merida cackled and waved for the two of them to follow her, which they did without hesitation. "Something about magical shells that are churned up. The dust is then mixed with water and I guess that's it, unless there is some gruesome detail involved I don't know about." She ignored the pale looks from behind her, though with Brook it was a little harder to tell, seeing as how he had no skin draped over his bones.

Eventually they arrived back at the lake. Merida handed the bottle over to Liara, who carefully took it and cradled it between her palms. "Remember, you only have one hour," Merida warned.

"We understand, Miss Merida," Brook said. Confident that they knew what they were doing, Merida walked off, but not before getting a little teasing in. "Oh, and no drowning no, you hear?" she called out with a laugh before disappearing behind one of the large leaves surrounding the area. Both pirates shuddered.

Brook walked towards the lake, marveling at just how breathtaking it was. He simply couldn't wait to swim again, something he never thought he would be able to do again.

"Would you care to take the first sip Miss Lia..." His bottom jaw literally fell to the ground the moment he turned around. She stood there wearing a light blue bikini that brought out the pools of blue in her eyes even more, with a little black bow placed nicely in the top center of where her breasts met. Her lips parted nervously, and her cheeks turned bright pink in embarrassment under his gaze.

"Nami kindly bought this for me when we were on Sea Breeze Island," Liara quickly explained. If it had been any of the other Strawhats she might have been only a little shy, but since Brook was the one looking at her...well, she just felt even more embarrassed. Usually she wore one pieces whenever she'd been swimming in the past, not because she wasn't comfortable with her body, but because she had never been into showing it off. Nami often walked around the ship wearing nothing more than a revealing top and maybe even a short skirt. Even Robin wore clothes that would show off her long legs and a decent amount of cleavage, which of course Sanji absolutely praised whenever he could. Liara had just never really worn clothing like that before, and now, she was practically not wearing any at all!

Brook, upon realizing he had just been staring at her, quickly snapped himself awake and reached down to reattach his bottom jaw. Liara stared at her feet, continuously watching her toes curl. "I'm sorry. I know this is really embarrassing," she admitted, hoping to clear the awkward moment.

"No. You look very lovely."

Her eyes snapped back up to focus on Brook, who looked absolutely sincere in his compliment. She felt like her face was on fire, and judging by the small smile hinted at on his skeletal face, she could tell he noticed.

"Well, I suppose it's my turn," Brook announced cheerfully, and in one quick movement his purple shirt flew over his head; he stepped out of his pants to reveal dark purple swim trunks. This time it was his turn to feel exposed, as he realized how frightening he must have looked, what with being a skeleton and all. He rubbed the back of his hair, nearly causing his hand to get tangled into his afro. "I apologize for frightening you," he nervously chuckled. "I know it's not every day one is forced to see a half naked skeleton."

Liara could tell he was ashamed, and that saddened her greatly. She didn't care if he was a skeleton or not, Brook was Brook, and she had to prove that to him. Before she could stop herself, she walked towards him, his eye sockets following her every movement until she at last stood right before him. With a deep breath, she reached towards his ribcage, and gently placed her fingers over where his heart would be. He watched her curiously, wondering what she could possibly be doing. Her touch was so soft and warm, and there was something about her standing so close to him and touching him that made him feel like his heart was pounding against his ribs. Liara closed her eyes, keeping her hand placed on his ribcage. Within seconds a small gasp escaped from her mouth, and a genuine smile crossed her face, bringing out her rosy-colored dimples.

"Brook, I can feel your heart!" Her eyes flew open. The musician seemed too shocked to respond, so she affectionately grabbed his hand and placed it over the area her hand had just been. His eye sockets widened. Sure enough, he could feel a slight vibration against his ribs, pounding in the same pattern as that of a heart. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry, as a part of him now felt more human than before.

And she'd been the one to show him that.

"This is wonderful!" he exclaimed as he wrapped his arms tightly around her, not thinking about what he was doing. "I don't know how it's possible, but I'm so glad! Yo-ho-ho!"

Liara giggled, happy that he wasn't embarrassed anymore. However, their arms dropped the moment they realized their chests were touching. For an awkward moment they glanced to opposite sides, taken-back by how physically close they were. Eventually Liara started giggling, and Brook joined in, though why they were laughing was beyond them.

**[Music: Atlantis the Lost Empire-The Secret Swim]**

"I suppose it's time for that sip now," Brook suggested as he held out the bottle to her. Just as she reached out to take it, he pulled it back a little and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I want you to have the first sip, but maybe I better take it to make sure it's okay to drink." He trusted Merida, but he also knew she probably hadn't drank it before. If it was in anyway dangerous, he wanted to make sure he knew first so Liara wasn't affected by it.

"Alright, Brook. If you're really sure, then thank you," she said with a smile, flattered by his need to protect her. With a nod, he twisted the cap off the bottle and took a big gulp before lowering the bottle back down. Liara searched his face for a reaction, and was relieved when he gave her a thumbs-up. "Tastes pretty good actually. It's almost like water that feels really cold, but it isn't uncomfortable against your throat."

Liara took the bottle, and as she trusted his judgement, also took a sip. The liquid slipped down her throat, leaving a different but not unpleasant feeling in her mouth. Her breath felt a bit cold, and she supposed it was because now she had the ability to breathe underwater. She nodded her head to confirm she was ready for their dive, and set out with him into the lake, but not before placing the bottle in front of a boulder near the water. They looked at each other, then dove in.

The water was, thankfully, not cold, but pleasantly warm. Bright sun rays filtered through the surface to provide enough light to view their surroundings. At first, there didn't appear to be anything interesting to look at, and Liara felt slightly disappointed. Suddenly Brook tapped her on her shoulder, and pointed towards her left. She decided to swim that way to try and see what he had noticed, and discovered, much to her surprise, a tunnel. Excited, she grabbed his hand and swam into the tunnel.

The tunnel's floor was beautifully covered in pebbles of almost every existing color. Like on the trail to Merida's house, the pebbles all glowed, allowing Liara and Brook to swim through the curving tunnel without bumping into any walls. At last they exited the tunnel, and found themselves in a completely different area. Beautiful yellow fish with light blue stripes swam in a school, along with other groups of fish Liara had never seen before. They were all fascinating to look at, as were the flowers that bloomed on surrounding walls, their colors just as varying as the tunnel's floor. As her eyes scanned the walls, she noticed pictures covering almost every inch of the rock-like surface. She tugged on Brook's hand and pointed to where she was looking at. His jaw parted slightly in amazement, and together they both made their way towards the first wall panel they saw.

The image before them was of a group of people, all circled around a man and woman who held hands and looked like they were in love. The drawing was by no means spectacular, but clear enough to get the point across. Every line etched into the wall glowed blue to provide an almost mystical feel. They swam to the next panel, which displayed the man sitting in front of what appeared to be a lake. _"This lake?"_ Liara thought to herself. Judging by the look Brook gave her, she could tell he was thinking the same thing.

A demonic looking creature with sharp teeth and long fingers donned the next panel, causing a squeak of fright to escape from the swimmers. The creature seemed to be focusing on the man, and also looked like it was coming from the lake itself. This made Liara and Brook feel a bit uncomfortable about where they were swimming, but Brook had promised to protect her, and he squeezed her arm to comfort her; she gave an appreciative smile.

The next part of the story showed the man looking very evil. He stood in what looked to be a village, and the people around him were running around looking very scared. Liara's heart ached for the villagers, and she gasped as the next area revealed all the villagers laying dead. However, their spirits stood over the bodies, all looking sad and holding each other. The man stood behind them, large and overpowering. The woman stood by them, looking very upset and crying. While the pictures weren't many, the story was deep and heartbreaking. Liara wondered if it was even possible to cry underwater.

What really captured their attention was the last wall, which showed a fight between the man and somebody with a sword. The figure wasn't very detailed, but the point was clear; somebody needed to fight the man and release the evil. Merida had said the drawings would tell them _what_ to do, but _how_ were they to even find the possessed man?

Satisfied with what they had found, Liara and Brook swam back through the tunnel and up to the surface. Liara's limbs were sore, especially her arms. She collapsed onto her back as soon as she crawled out of the water, unaware that Brook had nearly fallen on top of her as he stumbled in exhaustion from not swimming for so long.

She lay beneath him, her wet hair spread out and water droplets running down her entire body. Her cheeks were a lovely shade of red, her blue eyes sparkled, and her pink lips were invitingly parted. Brook had to force himself to not look at her, as he realized that up until that moment, he had never wanted to kiss somebody more in his entire life. She was his angel, the woman he wanted to protect with every fiber of his being. He wanted to pick her up and cradle her in his arms while he lovingly stroked her and promised to love her.

And that frightened him more than anything else in the world.

For the first time in his life, he was in love with somebody. Ever since she'd been kidnapped he had known he was in love with her, but it wasn't something to take lightly.

He had a lot of thinking to do.

Brook stood up, not noticing the disappointed look on her face. While Liara had laid there, she'd felt like her chest would break open and release her heart. She had wanted to know if he felt the same as her, but perhaps the moment hadn't been right. After all, it was a little awkward, what with them both wearing only their bathing suits and shivering cold from the water. Still, the warmth spread between them had been pleasant enough while it had lasted, and that was better than nothing.

He extended his hand towards her, which she gratefully accepted. "The story was sad," Liara finally spoke. "Perhaps Merida can really tell us what happened."

"I agree," Brook murmured. He walked over to the boulder and picked up the bottle, handing it over to Liara. "But first," he suggested with a small smile, "maybe we should change."


	25. Pure Fantasy

_** This has to be the fastest update I've ever done. Lol. So, this chapter and the next two ones are the ones I've been looking forward the most to writing. There is a lot of emotion involved and I felt amazed at how close I felt to Liara, this character I had just made up. Thank you everybody for voting. : ] I loved how some of you said you listened to the music from last chapter and thought it fit perfectly, and I'm glad that happened. Make sure to continue listening to the music in the following chapters, as you will feel more emotion towards the story. Thanks guys for following, favoriting and reviewing! Keep them coming please! 3**_

**Chapter 25: Pure Fantasy**

"So that's what you discovered huh? I don't know why you look so confused. In fact, why don't I just fill the two of you in right now? More tea?" Merida offered.

Liara glanced down into her tea cup, surprised that she had drank all of her honey-leaf tea so quickly. Whether it was because she had been really thirsty or simply found the tea delicious she couldn't say. Either way, she was craving more for some reason. "Yes please," she responded with a polite nod of her head. Merida looked at Brook to see how he was coming along. The skeleton appeared to open his jaw to answer, but instead let out a long burp. The two ladies simply stared at him as he expelled flatulence through his mouth for about five seconds. He then held out his tea cup. "Sure."

Merida smacked him across the front of his cracked skull, sending him backwards and off his chair. A little cracking sound could be heard as soon as Brook landed on his rear, causing Liara to outwardly cringe. Brook slowly reached down and held up the cup, which now had a large chip on it's white surface.

"You stupid, rude skeleton! You chipped my cup!" Merida shrieked. "This wouldn't have happened if you only had more manners!"

"I was going to excuse myself, but you hit me first!"Brook quickly defended himself. Liara held her cup up to her lips and tried to drink the last remaining drops in order to avoid the suddenly uncomfortable environment.

Merida shook her head, clearly irritated with the skeleton. She snatched his cup away from his bony fingers before holding out her free hand for Liara's empty cup, which Liara silently gave. "So, other than that, you had no problems breathing?" Merida asked as she walked over to her red kettle that was perched on the stove.

"No, none at all. It was quite beautiful down there, and to see such a story drawn out was rewarding. Might I once again ask what you know about it?" Liara requested. Her and Brook had headed over to the guest house after their swim in Cerulean Lake so they could change out of their bathing suits and dry off. During this time, both had sat in their rooms for several minutes, contemplating what to do with their relationship. They each had feelings for the other, but were unaware of just how mutual their feelings were. The encounter they'd had in front of the lake, both before and after the swim, had really intensified their situation. While on the way to her room, Liara had bumped into Nami, who had just taken a shower and was planning to go and map the island out some more. One look at Liara's crimson face had told Nami that something happened. The two agreed to meet later for some "girl talk".

"Certainly. In fact, why don't I just explain the story as I know it?" Merida returned back to her kitchen table where all three of them were sitting. [Brook had pulled himself back onto his chair, rubbing his sore rear in the process.] A bowl of fruit and a plate of fresh-baked cookies both decorated the middle of the table, inviting guests to have a snack. Brook reached forward and grabbed his third cookie as Merida began to speak.

"The abandoned village you two discovered is the place where the story begins," Merida started as she took her seat and gave her two guests their tea. "The village was once full of people that smiled every day. Each year the village would get bigger and bigger as families grew larger. It was just a happy place, one that most people would love to live in." She gave a content sigh. "Two people, a man and woman, fell in love. They were young, probably around 17 or 18 at the time, but both understood what love was." Liara quickly looked at Brook and then returned her gaze to Merida, trying to ignore the heat spreading in her cheeks. Brook gazed over at her and looked away just as fast so she wouldn't catch him staring. Both of their hearts were pounding.

"The man wanted nothing more than to leave the island and see the world with his love. He wanted to visit Cerulean Lake to make a wish, but remembered that each person could only have one wish. He had already made his wish when he was a little boy, which was to cure his little brother of an was a good person, and decided that that maybe the lake would make an exception. He stepped into the lake and wished for a boat to take him and his love off the island."

"He didn't get his wish, did he?" Liara asked sadly.

Merida shook her head, her expression just as saddened. "No. In fact, because he asked for more than one wish, an evil spirit emerged from the lake, one that was born of greed. One of the island's codes had been broken, creating a demon that tipped over the scale of balance. He possessed the poor man, determined to suck away all pure hearts and control souls as a means of power. The man returned to the village, and used his power to obliterate hearts without mercy. His love was so broken-hearted that she ran away from the village so she could weep alone for the rest of her days, not knowing that her love hadn't betrayed her, but had been possessed."

"What a sad story!" Brook wailed as he set his chipped cup down. "One of romance and tragedy! It-it's awful!"

"Yes, it is," Liara agreed, clearly upset with the outcome of it all. "I just wish I could make things better."

"Ah, but you can, my dear."

Liara looked up surprised. "But Merida, how do I do that?" she asked as she bit her lower lip. She stared up at the ceiling in thought. "If I understand this correctly, 999 souls are walking around this island, asking for help because they don't want to be lost anymore. The demon sealed up the lake and is still in possession of that man?"

"Correct," Merida confirmed. "However, as you discovered earlier, you can't just swim in the lake and battle him there. You must travel to the spirit world and then confront him. Only then will this island and its souls be free, and wishes can be granted again."

"Ah, but Miss Merida, shouldn't the lake be unsealed if the creature wants so much power?" Brook suggested.

A far-off look suddenly glazed over the faerie's eyes. "And that is there the puzzle is missing its piece. It seems that the demon wants 1000 souls exactly, and is waiting for one in particular." She sighed and took a sip of her tea. "He will eventually be defeated, but I just need a plan. I think your crew might have a chance at defeating him, but a plan is needed first."

A sense of fear crawled all over Liara's skin like unwanted bugs. The demon sounded like an absolute monster, and she couldn't say just how useful she would actually be in a battle. Although she seemed to have most of the basics of swordsmanship down, she was still far from an actual fighter. Hiding in the darkness of her fear though was a small light of courage, and that was all she needed to be determined. "I'll do the best I can," she confidently said. "I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty scared. But I want to help these people and this island more than anything, and that's what I intend to do, no matter what."

"We'll all help," Brook chimed in. "We'll all do this together." He and Liara exchanged smiles and then looked back at the fairy for approval. She grinned and clapped her hands. "Alright! Well, I'll think of something and then let you folks know when we're all good to go!"

Dinner was ready by the time they arrived back at the house. Since the weather was pleasant, Sanji suggested they eat outside, to which everybody happily agreed. They all sat spread out underneath a large tree. Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, Franky, Zoro, and Brook all played cards while trying to keep Luffy's rubber hands away from their food. Liara was asked to joined, but she politely declined as she wanted to talk to Nami and Robin. The two ladies listened intently as Liara told them about the events at the lake.

"No way! You felt his heart?!" Nami excitedly asked in a low voice so the boys couldn't hear them. "I didn't think it was possible!"

"Never underestimate love, Miss Navigator," Robin voiced with a small. "The most unexpected things can happen."

Liara felt like a school girl as she giggled in happiness. "Well, to top it off, when we got out of the lake I fell on my back and he leaned over me..." Nami's eyes widened. "...and I felt like he was going to ki-kiss me. He didn't though, but I wish he would've."

"How could he? He doesn't even have lips!" Nami laughed, trying to bring in good humor.

"Perhaps I can help," Robin offered, catching both Liara and Nami's attention. "First, let me talk to Mr. Skeleton and then we'll go from there. Nami, here is what you can do." She leaned over and whispered in the orange-haired woman's ear while Liara curiously tilted her head and watched them. Nami's face lit up once Robin pulled away, and she gave a thumbs-up. "Leave it to me!" She grabbed Liara's arm, causing the brunette to squeak as she was suddenly yanked off her feet. "Let's go Liara! We've got some work to do!"

Brook paced in front of the guest house, his fingers linked together and placed behind his back as he walked back and forth. He had changed into a black suit that looked much like the one he usually wore but with no tears. Underneath the suit was a dark blue dress shirt that slightly ruffled at the top, completing the appearance of a "gentleman". The suit had been given to him by Robin as she pulled him away from dinner and explained the plans she had for him in the evening. She had told him to go to a specific place; what was there and why she was sending both him and Liara was beyond him, but he was curious and determined to go, especially if it gave them time alone.

Ever since the lake his mind had been cluttered with absolute chaos. The feelings he had for Liara were wonderful and made him happy, yet tore him apart at the same time. He knew he had to come to a decision soon, but that all depended on how she felt about him. He couldn't just think of himself, but of Liara's happiness too. He stopped pacing and sighed. _Oh, what was a skeleton to do?_

"Hey, skull-brain. Come here," Sanji commanded as he stepped through the house's front door and lit a cigarette. Wondering what Sanji could possibly want, he walked over to the chef and patiently waited for him to speak. The blond took a drag on the cigarette and exhaled a puff of smoke through his mouth. "I know you and Liara have gotten very close lately. I'm just going to send you a little warning: you hurt her, and I'll hurt you. Are we clear?" A warning glare could be seen through his eye, showing he was dead serious. All Brook could do was nod and gulp, knowing that Sanji meant every word. Satisfied with the reaction, Sanji nodded and began walking further away from the house.

**[Music: Tangled- Campfire 0:00-2:32]**

"Oh Sanjiiii!" Nami sung out as she walked through the front door, immediately catching the cook's attention. He spun around, his eye turning into that of a heart as he mentally devoured her sweet-sounding voice.

"Yessss my sweet?" he cooed out, his legs turning into jelly as his entire body wiggled around. Nami smirked and stepped to the side. Brook's eye sockets widened as Liara stepped through the door.

Her thick curls fell over her shoulders and behind her back. She was wearing a long blue, spaghetti-strap dress that barely touched the top of her feet, and had a lighter shade of blue wrapped around her stomach like a belt. The whole gown was covered in glitter, bringing out the blue in her eyes even more. Her cheeks shone beautifully, and her lips were a lovely shade of red. She looked at Brook beneath her thick eyelashes, and blushed by how taken back he looked by her appearance. She looked like a goddess to him, and it took Nami elbowing him in the ribs to snap him back to reality.

"Liara...you look so...so beautiful," the dumbfounded skeleton stammered out. She truly was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, and for him to spend an evening with an angel like her almost seemed like a miracle. Sanji himself had to be dragged away from Liara as his heart had apparently stopped from such "captivating beauty". Nami gave Liara a wink and walked off, causing the pair to look down at the ground and then back up at each other, nervous smiles evident on their faces. At last Brook cleared his throat.

"Shall we get going?" he asked with a pleased grin.

Liara nodded and the two began walking. "Where are we going though?" she questioned with a smile on her face. She had no idea what was going on, as Nami had just kept telling her not to worry about it and enjoy herself.

"Yohohoho! You shall see when we get there! First though..." Brook reached out to a nearby bush and pulled off a flower that had purple surrounding the inner part of the seven petals and white on the edges of the petals. He placed it behind Liara's right ear, bringing out even more of her beauty. She smiled, beaming with happiness at the gift. "There," he whispered, "now you look absolutely radiant."

"Thank you," she gratefully said, and reached out to link her hand in his. The skeleton felt like he was turning bright red, and truly hoped it wasn't showing. He pulled her forward and continued to lead her through the forest, looking for all the small landmarks Robin had told him would act as guides for their destination.

**[Music: Peter Pan-Fairy Dance]**

On and on they walked for several minutes, enjoying each others company and the forest's sounds as night began to settle in. At last Brook slowed down, confident that they had finally reached where they were supposed to go. He scanned around quickly before walking into the small open field. He reluctantly let go of Liara's hand so she could look around, her whole face glowing in delight. Trees surrounded the area, as did a couple small logs and a stream of water.

And that's when she noticed the small glow coming from one of the trees.

She walked towards the tree, her eyes widening as she saw what appeared to be hundreds of fairies emerging from the trunk of the tree, as well as from the stream surrounding them. The faeries suddenly flew out, their golden wings permitting them to fly around Brook and Liara, spreading dust over both of them. Liara held out her hands and giggled as the dust tickled the palm of her hands.

"Brook!" she exclaimed as she walked towards him with a look of absolute happiness on her face. "I think we can fly now!"

To test her theory, Brook looked at her, and suddenly felt even lighter than usual as he was lifted up into the air. He laughed. "I believe you are right! Yohoho!" Controlling flight was easier than he thought, as he immediately landed back on his feet. He then stood straight up, and bowed as low as he could, much to Liara's surprise.

"Miss Liara, I was wondering if you would do me the honor of sharing a dance with me tonight?" he asked as he straightened back up, absolute seriousness evident in his voice.

Butterflies flew around in Liara's stomach as she widely smiled, her eyes sparkling in joy as she curtsied. "I would love to."

Brook slowly walked forward, as did Liara. He wrapped placed a boney hand on her waist, and held out his other hand for hers. She gazed up at him with her cheeks bright pink, and joined her hand in his while she reached down with her other hand and grabbed a hold of her dress. They both began to move in a slow, circular motion; their eyes not leaving the others. Suddenly, they began to rise up in the air, much to Liara's delight. Feeling a bit more daring, Brook spun her around, and when she returned to him she was at a level where she could place a hand on his shoulder while still holding his hand. He spun her out again, only when she returned this time her back was placed in front of his chest, and his arms were wrapped around her waist, holding her hands as they swayed for a few moments before he would spin her back out. He would dip her down, and then lift her in the air so she could slide bridal style into her arms before she playfully smiled and slipped away. His long arms would reach out and grab her hand, bringing her back to him. They started spinning around in a circle again, rising higher and higher with each turn until they were fully in front of the moon, with the faeries circling around them with their own little light show. Brook stared deeply into Liara's eyes, watching the faerie lights reflect not only in her eyes, but on her face as well. He could practically feel his heart melting as he watched her, and Liara felt the same.

And that's when she knew the moment was right.

She took a deep breath, and reached up to caress his cheek. "Brook," she whispered. "I want to tell you something."

Brook nodded, suddenly unable to speak. Slowly they lowered to the ground, Liara feeling really nervous. Her hand slipped from his cheek, and at last they touched the ground. She looked up at him, his head twisted slightly as he waited for her to speak.

"Brook, I just wanted to tell you that..I'm in love with you," her face turned bright red, but her eyes remained focused and determined. Upon saying those words, she felt almost free, with no weight on her shoulders. She smiled, and waited for what he had to say.

He should have expected this, and he should have been ready. He was happy that she returned his feelings, and at that moment all he wanted to do was run around singing and crying tears of joy.

But something stopped him, and while he knew he would regret it for the rest of his life, he also knew he was doing her a favor.

"Liara, I'm sorry, but it won't work."

Out of everything she had expected him to say, that was the last thing she'd imagined to hear from him. In one moment, her happiness shattered. She looked down at the ground, trying to blink back tears and gain enough courage to look back up at him. "Why?"

To see her look so sad broke him, but he had to remain strong. "You won't be able to be happy with me," he tried to explain, ignoring the pain that radiated in his chest. "You won't be able to have a family with me, and people will stare at you and think you're strange for being with a skeleton. Your family probably won't accept it, and I won't be able to give you the warmth that flesh provides. I'm just a skeleton who plays instruments and cracks bad jokes," he finished sadly.

Her lower lip trembled, and tears spilled out of her eyes. "But Brook, I don't care what people think. I love you for you. You do make me happy, and your bones feel warmer than any human flesh ever could. I don't want anybody else to hold me, just you Brook. Just you." Her entire frame shook as she started sobbing uncontrollably.

Brook reached a hand forward, and rubbed his thumb on her cheek to wipe away her tears. "I'm sorry Liara. I don't deserve you. You deserve happiness...and I just won't be able to give it to you." With that, he pulled away, and quickly walked past her. She stood with her face to the ground, the tears growing larger and sliding down her cheeks. She turned her head and watched as he disappeared into the forest, leaving her alone.

"Brook! Please, I love you! Don't go!" she wailed as she fell onto her knees and buried her face into her hands. She had never cried so hard in her life, and at that moment, Liara truly felt like her world was ending. As she continued to hysterically cry, Brook himself had fallen in front of a large rock as started shedding tears himself. He placed a hand on his forehead and broke down. He was supposed to be a man, yet he had broken the love of his life's heart. He claimed it was the right thing to do, but the more he heard her cry, the less sure he was of his decisions. Eventually he forced himself to stand up, only to stumble as more tears poured out, blurring his vision. He practically crawled away as the pain grew extreme.

"Brook...I love you so much. Don't leave me. Don't leave me." Liara whispered into her hands. How could she possibly sail with the Strawhat pirates now?


	26. Test

_**This is my longest chapter, and all I can say is I'm glad that this all fit nicely together. I'm a little sad that I didn't get as many reviews as I'd hoped for last chapter, simply because it was one of the really emotional ones and I'd expected more reaction to it. Still, I did get some nice reviews and a couple new followers and favorites so I'm really grateful to you guys. : ] I will be pretty shocked if I don't get at least five reviews for this chapter. Lol. **_

_**Anyways, please enjoy. A lot of emotion went into this, which is really bad considering I'm the author yet I'm the one tearing up.: P**_

Chapter 26:Test

This was, by far, the most pain she had ever felt. It hurt far worse than when she had been captured and punched in the face, or woke up with her first hangover and a pounding headache. Her heart literally ached, her eyes burned, and the tears just wouldn't stop pouring out.

She felt like she was going to be sick.

Liara now truly understood the full meaning of heartbreak, and honestly, it was far worse than she'd ever imagined. Things had been going so smoothly until Brook rejected her, and she couldn't help but wonder what went wrong. According to Nami, Robin and Merida, they had all been able to tell that Brook loved Liara, and for a few moments, Liara had thought so too.

Keyword being _thought._

She felt embarrassed and upset. Had he been leading her on the whole time? If he hadn't felt the same, then why did he act so protective of her? Why was he always complimenting her and making her feel like she was truly beautiful? She knew their relationship ran far deeper than just being Nakama because she couldn't recall him acting like that towards Robin or Nami or any of their other crew mates. Maybe she was just a fool who imagined the gentle hand squeezes or how securely he would wrap his arm around her waist. When he looked like he was going to kiss her as she lay under him wearing only a bikini was also probably some hopeful illusion she conjured up. Regardless of whether he actually had feelings for her or not didn't really matter any more. He had flat out denied her and walked away, leaving her to grieve alone. Never had she felt so worthless.

**_[Music: Tangled-Return to Mother]_**

A lone figure in the shadows behind her watched with pitying eyes as the young woman sobbed uncontrollably, unaware of the eyes focused on her. Merida slowly emerged from the shadows, her wrinkled hands clenched into fists. She knew Brook was only trying to give Liara the chance of a happy future, but he was a fool for doing so. Clearly the two were head-over-heels for each other, and were destined to at least be together. Unfortunately, the foolish skeleton was messing with fate, a very unwise thing to do.

Merida had walked over to the area earlier to peek at how things were progressing between the two. She had been so certain that they would declare their love for each other and officially become a couple, but found only the opposite. Of course, she hadn't involved herself as it was between the two of them, but she wanted nothing more at that moment than to walk out from her hiding spot and pop Brook in the face for being so idiotic. So many people in the world dream of love, and he was letting it slip through his fingers. Well, if he wasn't going to comfort Liara then she would.

"Liara."

The sobbing suddenly stopped as her whole body stiffened up in surprise at the sudden voice. "Merida?" Liara asked in a shaky voice. She slowly turned her head around to get a better look at the person behind her. Merida's eyes saddened.

The normally happy young woman was pale with swollen eyes and red cheeks that stranded pieces of her hair stuck to. Her lower lip trembled as more tears slid out of her eyes and down her hot, sticky face. She was a miserable mess.

Merida knelt down and gently swiped her thumbs across Liara's cheeks to push away the newly fallen tears. "I know how you feel sweetheart. It hurts a lot, doesn't it," she stated, knowing without question that the young girl was experiencing unforgettable pain. All Liara could do was nod before pushing herself into the older woman's arms and letting out the last of her tears. Nothing needed to be said, so Merida rubbed the back of Liara's head the way a mother would to her child.

Eventually the shaking and crying stopped. Liara lifted her head up, rubbing away the last of her tears and looking down at the ground in embarrassment. "Merida, I don't know what to do now," Liara confessed as she looked back up at the woman who she'd known for so little yet felt she could entrust her life to. "I don't know if I can continue sailing with them after tonight." She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "I can't abandon them though; they've done so much for me and I love them all." Merida said nothing, only listened, but as she did so an idea came to mind. She took a deep breath and slowly grabbed Liara's hands.

"Why don't you come with me to my home? I have a story I want to tell you, and perhaps a solution to our problems as well," Merida suggested.

Although she felt exhausted from the day's events and crying, Liara decided that anywhere was better than back at the guest house. She couldn't face any of them right now, especially Brook. She weakly nodded her head and allowed the older woman to help her onto her feet. As they both began to walk away, Liara suddenly stopped and looked towards the direction Brook had walked in. A little bit of hope still seemed to flutter in her heart, but as she continued to watch and he didn't appear, the feeling slowly began to die until nothing with left.

"Liara, we should go."

She quickly wiped away the newly formed tears and walked back over to Merida, who wrapped an arm around her and patted her head as they finally left the area.

They sat at the kitchen table with cups of tea and several lit candles placed precisely on the center of the wooden surface. So far, nothing had been said besides Merida's offer to make tea and Liara agreeing. For a few moments the two women sat in silence, basking in the candle light and taking sips of tea. At last Merida decided to speak up, as she was the one who had extended the invitation.

"Remember the story I told you earlier, you know, the one you found drawn on the walls under Cerulean Lake?"

Liara nodded her head and took another sip of tea. "Yes."

Merida sighed and carefully set her cup on the table, cradling it delicately between her aged hands. "That woman in the story...that was me."

A gasp involuntarily escaped Liara's lips as she nearly dropped her cup on the table. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "That was...you? H-how are you still here? What happened?" Questions flooded her mind as she struggled to voice the ones she felt mattered the most. In a way, she supposed it slightly made sense. After all, Merida always looked so sad when she talked about the Lake or the curse, and even when she had told the story earlier her eyes had carried a deep sense of loss of them. She felt awful for not even noticing sooner. Her mouth opened and then closed, swallowing back her words as she waited for the faerie to speak.

"I was sixteen at the time. Like all the other faeries, I remained young and did my best to protect the island, which meant I was given the duty of constantly visiting the nearby village..."

_Large grey eyes peeked beneath the curled bangs of golden hair, searching her surroundings eagerly. Behind her, large purple wings protruded from the top of her back, just below the shoulder blades and near her spine. Elona village was loudly active just like every other day, with children running around laughing and playing, oblivious to the hard work of life. Passing neighbors greeted each other and gossiped before returning to work in their gardens or venturing in the forest to gather up food and other supplies. Just being around so much happiness was enough to make her heart swell, but nothing compared to the happiness she felt when she saw __**him**__._

_ "Merida!" _

_ She smiled brightly, revealing glowing dimples that brought out the sparkles in her eyes even more. She watched as a young man who was no more than a year older stride towards her. Merida found him to be the handsomest man in the village. He was well built from years of working outdoors, though not bulky. He had the loveliest green eyes she had ever seen, eyes that would seem to glow in the dark or light up whenever they were together. His hair was short and brown, with a thin layer of bangs that rested on his lightly tanned forehead. When he reached her he took her small hand in his. They exchanged smiles before he pulled her away and into the forest, paying no mind to the watchful eyes of the villagers. _

_ They weaved between trees and plants, hands linked as they expertly navigated through the green scenery. At last they came across a small open field that was completely surrounding by gigantic trees. It was "their" spot, the place they had met at only weeks ago. Once certain that they weren't being watched by any prying eyes, their hands separated and instead reached outwards to each other. Merida wrapped her arms around his neck and stroked the side of his face as she brought his face down to hers, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss. He wrapped her arms around her waist to bring her closer, deepening the kiss even more as she was nearly pulled off her feet. At last they pulled away to bring air into their lungs, but their faces remained only mere centimeters away. _

_ "Adam, I've missed you," Merida heavily breathed out, her eyes not leaving his. He kissed her again, and although it was shorter, it was still just as sweet._

_ "I've missed you also, love," Adam whispered before kissing her gently on her temple. Their arms loosened around each other, but their hands rejoined, fingers intertwined. "I would like to speak with you though."_

_ She felt her curiousity spark. He spoke so nervously, almost as if his tongue would twist itself, and she couldn't help but wonder what thoughts filled his head. "Of course darling. What do you wish to say?"_

_ He glanced down at their fingers, his thumb rubbing circles on the back of her pale hand. With a deep breath he looked back up, his eyes seeming to search hers for the answers to unasked questions. "A thought has been plaguing my mind for the past few days, and I find that I am no longer able to contain it." He squeezed her hand. "My sweet, do you love me?"_

_ Merida's heart pounded as she felt her cheeks grow as hot as flames. Those three words had never been said between them, but then again, she'd never thought it had been necessary to voice what was so obvious._

_ About five weeks ago, Merida had come across the secluded area hidden amongst the forest to gather fresh water for an ill woman in the village. While a stream did run nearby, she was aware that some of the villagers happened to bathe or swim in that water, and the thought alone was enough to cause her to wrinkle her nose in absolute disgust. She instead decided to walk a bit further in hopes of finding a separate water supply, which luckily, she did. As she'd filled the bucket of water, she heard the sound of bushes rustling behind her. Her eyes darted around nervously, hoping that a stray animal hadn't discovered her scent. Instead, a young man burst between a pair of leaves, his eyes glaring ahead as he prepared to face the strange presence. His gaze softened as he laid eyes on the golden-haired woman in front of him, her eyes widened in surprise as she sat there with a half-filled bucket in front of her. Upon noticing her wings, the man cleared his throat and bowed his head in apology. _

_ "Forgive me for disturbing you. I come here all the time for peace and quiet so I didn't expect to come across anybody else. I can leave if I've disturbed you." Merida shook her head and smiled. _

_ "I always appreciate company. I've only come here to get fresh water for an ill woman. I plan on leaving in a minute anyways to take this back to her." Both couldn't stop staring at the other; he found her to be so beautiful with her hair glowing like sunshine and her gentle eyes that emitted warmth. She thought him to be quite handsome, and lost herself in his pools of green. They introduced themselves, and he decided to go with her back to the village, even kindly carrying the heavy bucket for her. In just those few minutes, the two of them felt more happiness than they'd ever felt in their lives. Since then, love had blossomed as they unknowingly met each other in the same spot everyday, looking forward to talking and getting to know the other. Eventually their first kiss took place, and the love only grew._

_ Now she was standing in front of him, being asked a question that she without a doubt knew the answer to. "Yes," she replied with utmost sincerity. Pleased with her response, Adam brought her fingers up to his lips and kissed them._

_ "Then will you come with me, away from this island?"_

_ The question was so unexpected that Merida found herself caught completely off-guard. She bit her lip and stared down at the lush green beneath her feet. "Oh Adam, I would love to, but I'm not sure I could. I'm a faerie who is supposed to protect this place." Her wings fluttered sadly, as if trying to prove her point._

_ He let go of one of her hands and placed a finger below her chin to tilt her head back up. "That doesn't matter to me. I will go to Cerulean Lake and ask for a way to get us out of here. The island should still be protected, and you'll be able to come with me." He studied her face, noticing the flicker of hope across her pools of grey. "There is so much more out there, and I want you to be with me to see it. We'll have adventures, and even start a new life together, if you'll have me." He then reached into his back pocket and bent down on one knee, still holding one of Merida's hands. Her eyes widened and turned misty as tears gathered, focusing on the blue ring that rested on a gold band. It was absolutely beautiful._

_ "Merida,my angel, will you become my wife and follow me into the world?" Adam looked up at her, determined and serious. He had made the ring himself, as he was a black smith and well skilled in his field of work. He had discovered the blue jewel in a cave, and gold while digging underground for material. He wanted Merida to know that he truly wanted to marry her. She had captured his heart, and he wouldn't allow anybody else that privilege._

_ Much to his relief, she nodded as tears freely fell down her face. They shared a joyful embrace and kiss before he slipped the ring on her finger, feeling more bliss than he believed possible._

Liara listened intently, a dream smile on her face. "That's so beautiful! That must have felt wonderful!"

Merida nodded, her eyes focused on the tea in her cup. "Yes, and I was very happy. Unfortunately, things didn't go to plan, as I discovered on the next day."

_The rays of the early morning sun danced between the tree branches as Adam expertly navigated his way to Cerulean Lake. It wasn't his first time visiting the lake, of course. A few years ago he'd sought the lake out to wish for his younger brother's recovery from an illness. At first he'd been afraid, as he'd had no experience with magic and didn't know whether it would hurt or not. Luckily, the only thing that had taken place was a glow encasing his body, filling his innards to the brim with warmth, and just like that, his sibling was cured. After that day, he would occasionally return to the lake to sit and appreciate its beauty, but that was all he could do. From the moment he was born he'd been told that only one wish could be asked in the lake, and to ask for more was selfish. At the moment, he didn't care about the consequences, only to be able to leave with Merida as his wife. Besides, he'd been a good person his whole life, asking for only his brother to be cured and for Merida's hand in marriage, so surely one more wish couldn't hurt, right?_

_ He pushed past a bush as the lake finally came into view, breathing out a sigh of relief. It had been a while since his last visit, and for a moment he was worried about getting lost. He mentally congratulated himself on finding his way back before approaching the lake, his eyes scanning around to make sure nobody else was around. The lake was the heart of the island, so he'd often seen people either making wishes,which was always fascinating to observe, or others who wanted to relax by the pool of beauty. He removed his shoes, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and walked forward. He shivered slightly as his toes sank beneath the water; it wasn't freezing, just a bit cold, but he'd get used to it. He continued to walk forward until the floor completely disappeared from beneath his feet and he was left with no choice but to swim, though the distance wasn't far. All he had to do was reach the center of the lake and float on his back, which he did was ease. All that was left to do now was close his eyes and wish with his whole heart for the thing he desired most._

_ His green eyes disappeared behind closed eyelid, mentally preparing himself for what he was going to say. At last his words were in order, and he parted his lips to speak._

_ "Mighty Cerulean Lake, I am Adam from the peaceful village of Elona. Although I have already asked of you a wish, I desire only one more before leaving, never to disturb your waters again. I wish for Merida and I to be able to leave this island on a sturdy boat so that we may see the world and find happiness!" He put his heart and soul into every word, his eyes only opening once the entire wish had been voiced. He looked ]up at the bright blue sky, smiling as he waited for the familiar feeling of warmth to wash over him as it had before._

_ No warmth came, nor did the light to signify that his wish had been granted. _

_ Wondering if perhaps his words hadn't sounded as meaningful, he called out his wish again, raising his voice so that the lake could clearly hear him. _

_ Still nothing._

_ Disappointed flooded through him as he realized his wish probably wouldn't come true. So he really could only wish once...how upsetting. Plagued by the guilt of getting Merida's hopes up, he slowly swam back to land, trying to figure out how he would break the news to her. _

_ Just as he began to propel himself through the water, an enormous shadow enveloped his surroundings, as if night itself had taken over. Adam looked around with panic, wondering what could have happened when a spiraling column of pure black erupted from the middle of the lake. His mouth dropped open as a cry of fear escaped. A black figure with horns and red eyes floated through the air towards the frightened boy, a wide smirk donning its face._

_ "Foolish human," it rasped, "you greediness has ruined this island and given me the power I deserve!" It cackled and opened its mouth to reveal a dark shade of red before lunging towards Adam. As he screamed, the last thing he thought of was Merida and how they would never be able to be together._

_ Merida excitedly ran towards the village, her curls bouncing with every step. Today was the day they were to leave and start their life! How they were going to do it was beyond her, but Adam seemed to have a plan. The only thing he required of her was to show up in the village before noon so they could leave together. She'd already spoken with the faeries, who seemed a tad disapproving of her sudden take off but supported her love and didn't try to stop her. Even faeries could fall in love, right?_

_ She ran down the familiar path she'd used every day for months, jumping over fallen logs that lay on the sides of the path, just for the fun of it. She was about to see the world with the man she would soon marry. Life had never felt more perfect!_

_**[Music: Mass Effect 3-I'm Sorry]**_

_ When she finally approached the village, her movement slowed to a halt. Before her lay not the happy place she was used to, but a zone of absolute chaos and eyes widened in horror as she saw people running around, echoing screams and cries as waves of black swirled around buildings. A woman with a young boy ran towards Merida, calling for her help. Tears streamed down the boy's face as his chubby fingers reached outwards, his eyes pleading for help. The faerie ran forward, her slender hands trying to grab onto the helpless humans in an attempt to pull them to safety. Much to her dismay, the black fog-like substance swallowed the two whole right before her eyes. She helplessly watched as the woman wrapped her arms securely around her sobbing child before completely disappearing, leaving not a trace of their existence. _

_ Merida's jaw trembled in terror at what she had just encountered. Did the other faeries even know what was happening? She ran forward, not wanting to stand around and do nothing as the people she loved were killed before her very eyes. Without any thought she pushed her feet forward, breaking out into a run as she attempted to reach the next person who needed help. _

_ The sound of glass breaking immediately snatched her attention to the right as a little girl with a doll clutched near her chest was pulled forward by her parents. Like the woman and child before though, they too vanished into the terrible darkness, leaving only a slumped doll behind. Merida let out a yell of frustration as she watched more people around her disappear. She raised her fists up and unleashed a stream of magic, willing with all her might for the evil force to just vanish. Her attacks were to of no avail though, as not even a dent had been placed in it. _

_ "Attack!", a loud high-pitched voice suddenly yelled out. Merida spun her head around and smiled with relief as the other faeries arrived,throwing their magic forward to try and at least slow the creature down. Unfortunately, they were also unable to make a mark, even with their magic combined. She fell to her knees in disbelief as she realized that no matter what they did, there was simply no way to stop the catastrophe from continuing. _

_ "What are you?!" she yelled in a choked voice as a knot formed in her throat. She shakily stood up and tried to run forward, shooting off as much magic as she could, trying to ignore the fact that the screams and cries of the villagers had altogether stopped. Her arms began to grow sore as she repeatedly fired magic from her fingers, but she continued to force herself forward, just as the other faeries were. At last, the black substance shrunk, but none of them cheered. How could they when the people they were supposed to protect had been lost to the darkness?_

_ The darkness wrapped itself into a thin column in front of Merida, causing her to jump backwards in surprise. A gray figure suddenly appeared in the middle of the column, and began walking out of it. At first she couldn't tell who it was, but as the figure started to gain color and shape, she felt her legs quiver and collapse beneath her. Before her stood Adam, radiating of pure evil. _

_ "Hello, my love," he smirked, acid dripping off of his voice. His eyes, those beautiful orbs of green she had loved so much, were now dark red and power-hungry. _

_ "You-you're not Adam!" Merida cried out with a sob, tears pouring down her face. Her lower lip trembled as the creature in front of her laughed, showing absolutely no remorse for its actions. _

_ "Ah, but I am! Did you know that I had already made a wish long ago? Turns out you really can't make more than one!" He looked at Merida's shocked face in amusement. "Of course, I don't know why you would care. After all, you only wanted to get married and get off this stupid island, right?"_

_ "That's not true! I love you and would have never let you make that second wish if I'd known!" _

_ "Don't lie to me! You're a cowardly fairy who will always be weak," he sneered. More tears fell from her hurt-filled eyes. "Besides, I've got so many pure hearts now that my power is neary as maximum capacity!" He triumphantly grinned and held out his hand, a white heart floated above his palm. "Only one more soul to go and I'll be ready to erase this island and all you damn faeries from existence! After all, you were the ones who locked me away, so now is the time for my revenge! No more wishes!" He leaned down and patted Merida's wet cheek. "See you later, sweetheart!" And with that, he and the rest of the darkness disappeared._

_ Evening began to approach, and Merida's tears had only just stopped falling. She sat in the spot she and Adam had spent time at every evening for a month, the very spot he'd proposed to her at only the previous night. The hurt she felt was so great that it felt like her heart was being ripped in half. She couldn't take it anymore._

_ Earlier her best friend Emma had come to check on her, only to end up holding the heart-broken fairy as Merida let out whatever tears she had left. While stroking Merida's back, Emma explained that her and the other faeries were going to use whatever magic they had left to put a protecting spell over the island to prevent any more harm to come to their home, as well as sealing the evil force in a place it wouldn't be able to escape from. Unfortunately, this meant they would shrink, but at least they would be able to keep living to continue watching over the island. Merida camel up with her own plan, and told Emma she would go through with it no matter what. Knowing how hurt her friend was, and how her mind couldn't be changed, Emma supported her decision._

_ And now, Merida was going to go through with her idea. She stared at the empty bottle on the ground before she closed her eyes, reached behind her, and yanked her wings out. _

Liara had begun crying as she finished listening to Merida's story, understanding the pain all-too-well, but not being able to imagine how much worse it must have been for the fairy. Merida gave a small smile as she reached across the table and squeezed Liara's hand. "Do not weep for me dear. I have been waiting for you to come along this whole time, for I know that while it was Adam's body I saw, the heart and soul in him was not his. He would have _never_ done such terrible things, and so, I have an idea, but whether you go with it or not is up to you."

Feeling as if she had nothing to lose, Liara hastily wiped away her tears and nodded, her eyes determined. "Please tell me. I'm listening."

_**[Music: D.N. Angel OST-Fate]**_

They walked through a wide tunnel, where strands of green hung from the ceiling, creating almost curtains. Side-by-side, Merida and Liara went forward. A bottle full of purple liquid and silver sparkles swished around in Merida's hands with each step they took down the long passage. After a few minutes of walking, they arrived in a large room filled with flowers and empty bottles. The scent was lovely, but the air morbid.

Liara felt herself starting to tremble a little as Merida faced her and held out the bottle. "Are you sure?"

Liara took a deep breath and nodded before reaching out and carefully taking the bottle, which was far heavier than she'd expected. She removed the cap and stared at the liquid, the fear only continuing to grow as seconds passed by. Merida placed a hand on the young woman's arm.

"Remember, you must be back within 24 hours or...well...you know." Liara confirmed that she understood with another nod. "It's okay to be scared, but understand that I will explain what happened to the others, and I will also protect you from here." Her expression grew pensive. "If you succeed, then you will have saved us all."

Liara gave the bottle one last look before slowly raising it to her lips. "Please, just tell Brook I love him and I'm sorry."

"I promise." She pulled her hand away and stood back. "I will place your sword by you. Good luck." Merida smiled sadly.

Her heart pounding, Liara place the bottle's between her lips and tilted her head back to make sure she didn't miss a single drop. The potion easily slid down her throat, and almost immediately, it took over her body.

The bottle slipped out of her fingers and hit the smooth stone ground, resulting in shattered glass. Liara collapsed on the ground as she felt her entire body grow stiff. She felt cold, but the feeling wasn't really unpleasant. The world turned hazy around her as her breaths grew shallow, her heartbeat slowed down. A small smile graced her lips for a second at how weightless she suddenly felt, almost like when she and Brook had danced in the air earlier. "Brook," she whispered before her eyes closed, a single tear sliding down her pale cheek. Her chest stopped rising.

The next morning, she didn't wake up.


	27. Come Back

_** This is my New Years gift to all of you! [That and I seriously needed to finish this chapter. Haha.] Anyways, I just want to thank you all for making this story the number one Brook fanfic on this site! [Not that many people write about Brook, but it's still pretty neat!] I put up another picture on my deviantart titled "The Swim" so make sure to check it out! Also, thank you all soooooo much for the reviews! I believe I received at least 10 from last chapter, which is a new record! I'm happy and thankful and I can't tell you how much they mean to me. Pleaseee keep them coming! They make my day!**_

_** Also, the whole Disney/Fairy Tale hidden thing is still going on, and I still plan on putting the answers up at the end of the story.**_

_** This chapter was very emotional for me, but it was definitely one of the ones I looked forward to writing the most. If you want to really feel the emotion of the scene I highly recommend listening to the Van Helsing score below. If you've seen the movie, then you'll recognize from the end scene. ;_; Anyways, enjoy and thank you all so much! **_

Chapter 27: Come Back

_**[Music:From Western Woods to Beaver's Dam-The Chronicles of Narnia, the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe]**_

A hard surface but soft features, the faint sound of a waterfall, and not a breeze to be felt.

Where was she?

Her eyes slowly opened. Everything was a blur at first, but then melted together to form a complete picture. She was laying on her back, and surprisingly, not feeling the least bit stiff. She didn't move at first, her eyes too busy focusing on the sky. Things seemed normal at the moment, but curiosity forced her to sit up and get a better look at where she was. She rolled onto her right hip and used her forearms to support herself as she glanced around, noticing right away that things were indeed not normal.

The land form she was on was not only small, but floating, as were the other landmasses around her. The sky below her was pure white, nearly blinding to look at, but softened into a light blue at the same level she was on before darkening into an azure color high above her head. In a way it was all lovely yet terrifying at the same time. Could land even float? Was that normal? Perhaps it could be normal in this place, yet she had to figure out where "this place" even was. Knowing that the answers wouldn't simply come to her, she decided to stand and and go find the answers herself. She smoothed down the front of her blue dress to rid it of possible dirt and wrinkles, and then strode forward.

Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw a grand silver staircase with thin railings curving down to the floating island below her. There was something magnificent about the stairs, making her feel like a princess as she placed her fingertips on the railing's smooth surface and glided them down with her. She contently listened to the sound of her shoes clapping against the stairs with each step, making her feel even more regal. Too bad nobody was around to see her. Nobody...

She reached the bottom, a shiver running up her spine. Why weren't any people around? Was there a party taking place without her? She didn't care too much for large parties, but it did make her feel a bit hurt that she hadn't known. Then again, who would have invited her? She sighed sadly upon realizing that no names came to mind. What a lonesome girl she was, what with having no friends and all. She smiled anyways and held her head high as she continued walking forward, enjoying the scenery. Trees with bright green leaves stretched towards her, almost as if inviting her to climb their branches and rest for a minute. She giggled and shook her head. Spending time with trees, what a positively funny idea! "At least they are kind enough to invite me," she whispered to herself as she turned down a path. There were more trees, but also tall, light green hedges, all perfectly square. She smiled and admired how symmetrical they all were, and felt calm, like all things were right in the world.

The sound of flowing water suddenly echoed around her, and at once she felt excited. The feeling of water bathing her fingers and toes sounded so appealing to her that her feet at once pushed her into a run. She quickly turned the next corner and saw with delight a gentle stream that formed a waterfall off the edge of the land. She felt a bit confused as she wondered how the stream had simply appeared on land without a source, but brushed it off. After all, nothing really seemed to make sense here, so why question anything else? With a gleeful smile she ran forward and knelt in front of the water, slipping her fingers underneath the cool liquid. As she looked down, however, she couldn't help but notice that the water was revealing something very odd to her. A young woman with bright blue eyes and curly copper-colored hair stared right back at her, and what was even more strange was that she wore the same dress. Slowly she raised her dripped wet hand to her face, watching in shock as the reflection did the exact same movement. She did everything from tilting her head to smiling to even standing up and yelling down at the water. She eventually grew exhausted and even more confused so she decided to stop. Clearly that was her reflection in the water, yet for some odd reason her mind went blank as she tried to recall her name. No matter how hard she tried though, not a single name came to mind, and at last she was forced to fall into a defeated slump as she realized with horror that she couldn't remember anything.

He sat cross-legged on his bed with his forehead placed against the rectangular window. Dawn was starting to arrive, signaling the crew would be up within a few hours. Sanji was probably already awake and planning what to make for breakfast. Sooner or later he'd have to face them...have to face _her_.

Brook hadn't slept at all that night. He'd walked straight to his room and closed the door, not wanting to speak to anybody. He's shed tears, not only because he wouldn't let himself be with Liara, but also because of how broken she'd looked in front of him. She'd looked confused and hurt and he really couldn't blame her. She'd cried, and it was all his fault.

_"You could've been happy,"_ his inner skeleton hissed. _"You both could've had happiness. Who are you to decide what's right for her? Your mistake broke hearts, and now everybody will be mad at you!"_

"What can I do?" he whispered. Was he really conversing with himself.

_"Beg her for forgiveness. Get on your knees, grab her hands, and declare your love for her. Apologize for your mistake. Have a future together. You may have the appearance of a skeleton, but you're more man than anything else. Now, fight for the woman you love!"_

"Yes!" he practically yelled out as he threw a fist up in the air and toppled off the bed. He chuckled as he lay on his back on the wooden floor, not really caring if anyone heard him. He had to make to make things right, and he knew exactly how. Feeling hope flutter in his chest, he pushed himself up and determinedly walked out the door.

"Morning guys," Nami greeted with a yawn as she walked into the dining room. So far, only Robin, Sanji, Franky and Chopper were awake. She found it odd that Liara wasn't awake yet, and was also a bit disappointed. Judging by the look Robin gave her, both women were wondering the exact same thing: how had last night gone for Brook and Liara?

"Namiiiiii my dear!" Sanji spun towards her, practically pulsating with hearts. "Morning! Breakfast should be ready very soon!"

Nami nodded and thanked him before walking over to Robin and leaning over to whisper in her ear. "Any idea how things went with Liara and Brook last night?"

Robin didn't look up, her eyes focused on the current page of her open book. "Not a clue, Miss Navigator. Perhaps you should check on her?"

"I agree. I'm surprised she isn't up already." Nami straightened up and headed back up the stairs, ignoring the curious looks Chopper and Franky gave her. She briskly walked down the hallway until she stood in front of Liara's door, feeling amused that while she tended to act like a bossy woman in front of everybody else,she felt like a teenager whenever she was around Liara. She knocked.

"Liara? You up yet?"

She bit her lip. Liara wasn't a heavy sleeper, so she should've at least responded. Perhaps she was in the bathroom? After knocking once more and again not getting a response, Nami pushed the door open and peered inside.

The bedroom was silent, and the bed looked as if it hadn't been slept in. Nami walked over to the bathroom and flipped the light switch on to wash away the darkness. There was still no trace of her.

Nami walked out of Liara's room and closed the door firmly behind her. A bad feeling was starting to creep around her, the sort of feeling she'd get when she could sense a storm was coming. Feeling a bit anxious and worried, she descended down the stairs and was about to return to the dining room when she decided that maybe she could talk with Brook. She headed down the hallway right off the kitchen and entered Brook's room, not caring if she invaded his privacy. His room was also empty, but the sheets were a bit wrinkled. Nami also checked his bathroom, he wasn't there either. The anxious feeling grew even more, but she pushed it aside. Perhaps him and Liara had left earlier to have some alone time? The idea made her smile, but didn't really calm her nerves. Something wasn't right, and she needed to find out what.

"Miss Navigator, is everything alright?"

Nami jumped and spun around to see Robin standing there. The dark-haired woman had a knack for moving silently, something Nami admired and yet detested. Nami took a deep breath to calm her racing heart and shook her head. "Liara and Brook are missing. I just...something seems off."

Robin crossed her arms. "I agree. If they haven't returned by breakfast we should look for them. Perhaps the other members of our crew might have seen them?"

Nami shrugged and walked back to the dining room with Robin following behind her. "I guess it wouldn't hurt." They both walked to the table and sat down. Robin didn't pick her book back up, but sipped her coffee instead while Nami inquisitively stared at the little reindeer and large cyborg. "Have the two of you seen Brook or Liara?"

Chopper stared down at the table in concentration, as if he was trying to pull at the threads of memory buried deep at the back of his mind. "I heard somebody return, but I wasn't sure who. What was weird though is that I thought I heard the sound of crying." He guiltily looked up. "I was too tired at the time to investigate, but I think it was Brook."

"Come to think of it, I only heard one pair of foot steps," Franky added on. "I was up late last night working on plans for a new project. My door was open a crack so I could enter and exit my room without waking anyone up. The footsteps I heard were light and went into Brook-bro's room. I believe I also heard crying."

Nami and Robin exchanged worried glances before Nami smacked the back of Franky's head. "Your friend was crying and you didn't think to help?!" she shrieked.

Franky rubbed the now-aching spot on his blue head before glaring at the pissed off navigator. "Hey! Men aren't the type to cry and seek comfort the way women do. Most of the time we just want to be left alone when we're upset."

"Don't yell at Nami-Swan, or you won't be eating breakfast!" Sanji threatened, his revealed curly brow lowering in seriousness.

The front door suddenly slammed open, dissolving all tension. Brook stood there with a bouquet of purple and white flowers clutched in his boney left hand. "Yo-ho-ho! Good morning!" he cheerfully called out. He ran forward in long strides, a few stray flower petals floating onto the floor. He glanced around the dining room at the gaping faces, and tilted his head to the side. "Oh, why is it as quiet as a grave yard in here?"

"Hey, what's going on?" Usopp sleepily asked as he walked past Brook. Luffy followed with a blank look on his face and drool dripping off his chin as the fresh scent of food drifted into his nostrils. Zoro also walked in, but stood leaning silently against the door frame, his good eye open and watching the situation unfold around him.

Nami stood up and walked over to the looming skeleton, her lips pursed together in a narrow line. "Brook, where's Liara?" Her eyes dropped to the empty space beside him and then back up to his hollow eye sockets.

The room grew so silent that the faint rustle of tree branches outside could be heard. Brook's eyes widened as he scanned the room, noticing that every single one of the Strawhats were accounted for...all but one. "You mean...she didn't come home last night?"

Sanji ran forward and jumped up, smashing his foot into the right side of Brook's skull, causing him to fly backwards into the living room and land on the coffee table. "You son of a bitch!" Sanji snarled as he flew towards the musician and grabbed the front of his heavily wrinkled suit, lifting him up so their faces were on the same level. He spat the now-chewed-in half cigarette out of his mouth.

"Now, now, let's hear what he has to say," Robin suggested as she sprouted hands across Sanji's arm to try and pull him away. Sanji loosened his grip but dropped the skeleton to the floor with a heavy thud. He stood up and readjusted his tie before reaching into his coat pocket and inserting a new cigarette between his lips. Franky walked forward and extended a large hand to help his friend up. Brook allowed the cyborg to help him to his feet, and gave a nod of appreciation toward the friendly gesture. He looked around and saw all eyes were on him, waiting for an explanation. His gaze drifted down to the scattered flowers on the floor.

"We...Liara confessed her love to me last night." Little gasps of surprise could be heard around the room. Only Robin, Nami, Sanji and Zoro didn't look surprised, and Luffy merely blinked as if he didn't understand the situation.

"You mean you and Liara...?!" Usopp stammered out in disbelief.

"Oh wow, that's beautiful!" Franky cried out as manly tears poured down his face. "I-I'm so happy for you two!"

Brook sighed sadly. "I told her it wouldn't work."

"WHAT?!" Nami screamed. "She poured out her love for you and you turned her down?!" Robin placed a hand on Nami's shoulder, trying to hold her back.

Brook intertwined his boney fingers, looking ashamed. "I love her, I really do. I want to be with her more than anything."

"Then why did you turn her down?" Chopper asked in his Heavy Point form as he peeked over Usopp's shoulder.

"Because I want her to have a future. I can't give her children and people would stare at her because she would be with a skeleton and not a human. I just want her to be happy."

"Did she look happy when you told her that?" Luffy asked, much to everybody's surprise. Brook looked at his Captain and then sadly shook his head. "No, she started crying."

"You made her cry?!" Sanji angrily yelled, once again restrained by Robin's devil fruit arms. As he began glowering Nami smacked him across his left cheek, her brows furrowed together in irritation.

"That's enough Sanji! I understand why you're angry, but this is between Liara and Brook. However..." her eyes flew towards the dropping skeleton. "I think you need to find her and apologize right now. Liara really does love you, and if you love her as much as much as you say you do, then don't argue with her about it. You two clearly need each other if being apart makes you cry."

"That's an order," Luffy smirked as he raised his straw hat to look Brook right in the eyes. The skeleton reached down and gathered up the flowers, bundling them together. They looked a bit torn apart but still just as beautiful.

"I gathered these to apologize to her. They're exactly the same as the one I gave to her last night." Brook plucked off the petals that clung to the flowers but had clearly fallen off.

"Those are anemones, which means unfading love in the language of flowers," Robin stated, impressed at his choice of flowers. Nami "Aww'd" and Zoro rolled his open eye, finding the whole thing to be too sentimental for him.

"I guess I'll just have to go find her," Brook said with a sigh as he did his best to smooth the wrinkles out of his suit. He didn't really care about Robin's knowledge about flowers, as he had already known what it stood for, which was precisely why he'd given it to Liara in the first place.

"There's no need; I know where she is."

All heads in the room turned as Merida 's short frame stood at the house's entrance, her shadow projecting onto the wooden living room floor as the sun beamed in from behind her. The group's faces were filled with relief at first as they location of their friend was at least known, but then fell as they noticed how serious her expression was.

"Is Liara...ok?" Brook asked, almost afraid of the answer. Nami stood beside him, drawing in a sharp breath.

"She's dead."

Time seemed to freeze. Brook's flowers, the ones he had so carefully gathered back up and spent hours searching for, fell from his grasp and on to the floor in a silent thud. The heart he hadn't noticed he had until yesterday felt like it was smashing into his ribs, a piece of it shattering and falling off with each impact. The words he'd just heard hadn't seem real. They couldn't be, right? "Ar-are you...?" He tried to speak, to voice the disbelief that had gathered within him, but his jaw couldn't seem to function properly; _he_ couldn't function properly.

"No..you're lying!" Nami screamed. Tears slid down her face as she fell to her knees, palms grazing across the floor and orange locks tangled across the side of her face. Liara had become like a sister to her, a best friend. As much as she wanted to deny Merida's words, to bar them from her ears and pretend she never heard them, she knew that the ones just spoken were not a lie. Nami was a fantastic liar, and she knew without a doubt that what she'd just heard was the truth.

The rest of the group stood in shock; even Zoro's mouth had dropped open at the unexpected news. Luffy bit his lower lip and clenched his fist as tears gathered in his eyes, threatening to spill over. "What happened?!" He was the captain, and one of his own members had already passed on? It was unacceptable. He squeezed his eyes shut and lowered the brim of his hat so the newly fallen tears couldn't be seen by his crew.

"Sacrifice," was all Merida uttered as she stepped into the house and craned her neck to stare straight into the eyes of the one Liara had given her heart to. "Sacrifice for _you_."

"What do you mean for him?" Sanji lowered his voice, trying to control his anger. No matter how upset he was, he wouldn't raise his voice at a lady. "What did you do to her?"

Merida's eyes narrowed at the chef before she began walking towards the door. "She drank a potion that forced her soul out of her body and into the spirit world. She is going to free this island by becoming the thousandth soul. Since her soul was sacrificed the power of her soul will be stronger than the others who were killed all those years ago, giving her the boost of light she needs to destroy the greed's darkness."

Robin raised an eyebrow, a finger placed thoughtfully under her chin. " Greed? How was the darkness even brought here?"

Merida snapped her head around. "My love did an act deemed unforgivable, simply because he wanted a life with me! That's right, the love of my life is the evil one here, but he'll be freed once Liara defeats him! I gave her the potion to drink! She has less than 20 hours left to defeat him, so you all need to grab your weapons in prepare for a fight because if you don't, we're all dead. Shadows are going to come, and Liara will need her sword, so grab it! As for you," she gritted her teeth at the skeleton who shook not from fear, but from grief. "You have no right to change the course love has set! You have a chance with her so don't blow it, understand?" Her tone had become more caring, like a mother giving advice to her son.

"I won't, just please take me to her," Brook begged. The whole crew nodded in unison, hearts and minds determined as one.

Merida crossed her arms. "What are you waiting for then? Let's go!"

They stood outside the cave, Merida in front of them as she gestured at cleverly hidden opening along the wall of stone. Brook felt terrified, more so than when he'd lost his shadow or been attacked by the pirates that killed him and his entire crew. His stomach, the one he knew was there but couldn't see, felt like it was flopping around. A cold feeling swept across his body, freezing him momentarily to the spot he'd planted himself in for the past ten seconds. At last he pushed his feet forward, daring himself to sweep the vines away with a flick of his hand as he entered the tunnel.

_**[Music: Van Helsing-Reunited]**_

His nakama's footsteps echoed down the stoney hall as they followed him, trying to keep up as he quickened his pace. Flashes filled his skull, dragging back up the memories he'd experienced with Liara, with the one who had made him feel alive again.

_"That song you sang was lovely. I could feel joy and sadness coming from it. I admire you for being so strong." She bowed her head and placed a hand over her heart. "Thank you for sharing that with me."_

He flicked aside another annoying vine.

_"You and Luffy and Nami and everybody else went all out to save me today, and I will always be grateful for that. You have all become so important to me..." she looked away. "Especially you Brook," she looked back at him. "So thank you."_

There was a flickering light at the end of the tunnel. Somehow breathing was becoming more difficult.

_She slowly reached out towards his hand, hesitating before slipping her hand into his. "Can you feel this?" she quietly asked with flushed cheeks. Brook looked at her and saw how shy she looked, and how the smile she gave him was so pure. He returned the smile and gave her hand a squeeze. "Yes, I can."_

A light was flickering up ahead. He pushed aside the last curtain of vines.

_"Brook, I just wanted to tell you that..I'm in love with you."_

He stood there trembling, hands helplessly limp at his side.

She was laying on a coffin of roses, her head cushioned by a small pillow of violet trimmed with gold. Lit candles were place on wooden shelves around her head, giving her an angelic-like appearance as the light glowed off her skin, Her auburn curls were sprawled out beneath her head, a few long strands placed over her shoulders. Her eyes, the beautiful pools of blue that sparkled whenever she laughed or smile, were hidden behind closed lids and thick eyelashes. Her entire body was pale and stiff. Her cheeks, where they had once been lit shades of pink or red, were now colorless and white. Her hands remained folded on her chest, and clutched between them, the single flower he had given to her only hours ago.

"Liara!" Nami cried out the others finally entered the cave. Her shoulders shook as she hysterically sobbed, concealing her face behind her hands. Sanji placed an arm around her shoulder, inviting her to cry against him, which she did. Robin lower lip trembled, trails of tears sliding down her cheeks. Usopp and Chopper lowered their heads in respect while Luffy pulled down the rim of his hat to block his eyes. Franky openly sobbed, not caring that he was a man and how weak he might've looked. All of them stood there, remembering their lost friend, their lost family member. Merida's words were all fresh in their minds, and while they knew that they did have a chance to save her, the sight of Liara's body before them caused all their hearts to ache. Even Zoro stood with clenched fists and water-filled eyes. Every one of them shed tears, but none of their pain was even on the same level as Brook's.

He slowly walked over, tears rolling down his face as he fell to his knees and placed a hand on Liara's arm, whimpering at how cold she felt. She'd been warm and happy in his arms not so long ago, and now she was...just so lifeless. He placed a thumb over her lips, stroking them, begging for her to just open her eyes and smile. His other hand wrapped around her wrist, inwardly pleading and praying for her to have a pulse.

"I'm a skeleton and yet my heart beats, so yours can too, right?" he whispered into her ear. He knew he was being childish but didn't care as he mourned the loss of his love.

_She fell onto her knees, pressed her face against his chest and wrapped her arms around his torso. "Brook," she sobbed. "Brook, I was so scared! Brook! Brook!" Over and over she repeated his name as tears heavily poured down her cheeks. _

_ "I'm so sorry Liara. Shh...I'm here. Everything will be okay. I promise to protect you from now on. "_

"But I broke that promise!" he sobbed out as he laid his head on top of hers. "Now you're gone and it's all my fault..it's all my fault." He ignored the hand placed on his shoulder as one of his tears fell onto her cheek.

"Your name was the last word she spoke," Merida said in a hushed voice. "She loves you Brook, and I know that no matter what, she will welcome you with open arms. If you don't hurry though, she will never have the chance to come back to you. You two deserve a life together, and to be happy."

He continued to lay there with their foreheads pressed together, his hand holding hers. "But I'm dead. I have nothing to offer."

"I think happiness and love is the best gift one can give, am I right?" Sanji suggested after clearing his throat to dissolve the sadness he felt. "Love is love. If a woman you love offers you her heart, then you take it and don't ask questions. It's the one gift in love that should be returned and cherished every moment of every day. So what if you're a skeleton, Liara loves you doesn't she? Now be a man and prove to her your worth!"

In that brief moment, all self-pity disappeared within the skeleton as Sanji's words sunk in. Tears were dried, and Brook knew that now wasn't the time to mourn. He was going to support Liara, just as he promised, and he'd be damned if she was going to have to fight alone! He looked back at Zoro, who had carried Liara's sword, and nodded. The swordsman smirked, face cleared of tears, and carefully handed the sword over. "We're ready when you are."

Brook bowed his head and took the sword. He bent over and placed it behind Liara's hands, making sure her fingers rested on the hilt of the sword. He then leaned over and placed his teeth on her forehead, rubbing her cheek as he did so. It was the closest to a kiss they'd be able to have, but it symbolized his undying devotion to her, and how he would remain by her side for all time. He lifted his head up and looked at his friends, all wielding weapons and all with expressions of determination.

Luffy grinned. "I'm still the captain, but I'll let you lead us this time. Only this one time though, ok?!"

Brook clamped his jaw shut and nodded. All eyes followed him as he walked past his friends and towards the vines blocking the entrance way. He looked at Liara one last time before tearing his gaze away and pointing down the tunnel. "Everybody, let's bring Liara back!" Hollers of agreement filled the air and weapons were raised as they took off running down the tunnel, leaving Merida by herself. She smiled.

"Good luck, my friends."


	28. Memory

_**Guys, we only have a few more chapters left. : ] I'm sad but also excited because I have plans for another story that I've been wanting to write for a while. To the people who reviewed this story every single chapter, or several chapters at least, thank you from the bottom of my heart. They keep me going and mean a lot, they really do. **_

Chapter 28: Memory

Brook charged out of the tunnel and into bright sunlight, swatting away dangling vines that hung in his way like pesky flies. His teeth grinded together as he fought to control the rage he felt, not only at himself, but at the calamitous creature that dared to posses an innocent and beautiful place like Fantasia Island. His deep eye sockets narrowed as he marched onward. Liara would still be here with him if only he hadn't been so moronic and pushed her and her love aside like her feelings didn't matter to him! He knew that he cared about her, and that wallowing in self-pity would do absolutely nothing meaningful for the current situation at hand, but he still couldn't help but feel responsible. He would fight for her, and there was no way in Hell he was going to lose.

He used his thumb to pop out the handle of his sword, which was oh-so-cleverly-hidden inside the infamous cane he used to complete his appearance of a gentleman. As he did so, however, a thought came so suddenly into his cracked skull that he dug his heels into the rugged Earth and forced himself to halt, causing his crew mates to smack right into him.

"What the Hell?!" Zoro grunted irritation as he rubbed his newly aching nose, which had turned a darker color than normal.

Luffy raised his arms up, his pupils entirely white, the way they usually were when he hadn't had meat for so long or was in a delusional state. "Let's kick some ass! Why'd you stop?!" he savagely yelled out as he clenched his fists, the knuckles popping. It hadn't been too long since his last fight, but he was already aching to give out a good pounding. Sanji looked at Brook and questioningly raised his visible curly brow as he puffed out curls of grey smoke from his mouth.

Brook rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, his hand nearly getting stuck between the ebony curls of his afro. "Well, er, I'm not too sure where we should even be going," he admitted, much to everyone's dismay.

"That's true; we have no idea where we even need to fight." Usopp crossed his arms over his muscled chest, his thick lips twisted in concentration. The whole group grew silent as they concentrated on possible ideas.

"Miss Navigator is getting that information from Merida now." Robin's voice drew all their attention to her as she stood calmly at the cave's disguised entrance and chuckled over how agitated her friends looked. "I believe she was going to talk to you about it..." her eyes focused on Brook, "...but you simply ran away too fast."

The skeleton frowned, wondering why Merida hadn't simply stopped him on the way out or brought it up in the first place. He had no choice at the moment though but to wait for Nami and see what information she had acquired. The men stood around impatiently, arms crossed and kicking around any small pebbles out of boredom and frustration. [The last one referring to Usopp and Luffy.] At last, the orange-haired woman emerged from the tunnel, eyes determined and focused. Brook and Luffy sped towards her, eager to hear what she would say.

"So...?" Brook expectantly asked as he bent his knees slightly so he could be closer to Nami's eye level. She gripped her Climatact and placed a hand on her jutted out hip.

"This probably won't come as a surprise, but we need to head back to the lake."

Luffy began stomping off with his fists swinging around at his sides as he prepared to lunge towards the cursed waters, but was forced to stop when Nami placed a hand on his shoulder, which sagged in disappointment as the fight he was so anxious to initiate was once again delayed. "Luffy, for us this is about helping Liara and getting her back. However, everybody needs to keep in mind that this thing Liara is probably going to be fighting currently possesses Merida's lover."

All the males stood stunned at the shocking news, especially Brook, who was mentally kicking himself at having not realized the truth sooner. He felt pity for the old fairy, especially now that he had an idea of what she was going through.

" Liara is trapped in a separate realm away from the other spirits, not only because she is the thousandth soul, but also because she forced herself to die." Nami bit her lower lip to prevent it from trembling; Robin placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Because of this, Liara has lost her memory, and the only way she'll regain it is if her heart sees something in that world that is important to her. The shadows are going to start crawling out of the lake once the sun reaches the highest point in the sky, and if I'm correct, that gives us only about fifteen minutes. Also the creatures we're going to be fighting aren't going to go away until Liara wins, which means that every hope this island has is going to rest on her."

Brook's eye sockets widened, his teeth clamping together in fury. Liara, _his_ Liara, was trapped and lost in a strange place, and to top it off, she had to fight a powerful enemy by herself? She had already suffered so much just because she loved him and wanted to be with him, and he'd be damned if she was the only one making sacrifices. An idea suddenly popped into his head, one that seemed absolutely outrageous but raised his hopes up nonetheless." When this is done and over with," he spoke in a low voice, "a wish can still be made, right?"

Robin crossed her arms, her blue eyes staring at him but glazed over in deep thought. "I don't see why not," she answered. "What is it you're thinking of?" All eyes focused on him as he faced Luffy, standing straight up and face chiseled with determination. The black haired young man watched the skeleton carefully, his dark eyes full of curiosity.

"Captain Luffy, I have a request." Luffy nodded at him to continue.

Brook took an unneeded deep breath to make sure his voice didn't falter."I want to wish for..."

The crew listened intently, but their jaws all dropped in absolute shock once he finished voicing his wish. Luffy's eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't yell or seem upset. In fact, he smiled. "Well, I won't stop you. You're my nakama either way, so it doesn't matter to me."

"Are you sure?!" Chopper squeaked out, his eyes practically bulging out of his head as his blue nose twitched. Usopp's jaw was literally touching the ground.

Franky stood behind them all, waterfalls of tears streaming down his face as he sobbed so hard he had to remove his sunglasses. "Skull-Bro, you've got my support!" Zoro backed away in annoyance from the hysterical cyborg and rolled his eye.

Sanji flicked his cigarette to the ground and reinserted a new one into his mouth. "Make no difference to me; I'll always view you as an annoying shithead." He smirked. "Still, I do admire what you want to do, so go for it."

"I also think you should do it," Nami said from behind him with a smile. " We'll still be with you, no matter what." Robin nodded in agreement.

Brook felt pleased and proud that his friends were supporting his decision. He jutted his chin up and smiled. He cracked his knuckles and grinned in a way only a skeleton could grin. "Let's get going."

**[Music: Mass Effect 3- Stand Strong, Stand Together]**

Nine silhouettes stood in the forest, all preparing for the battle that they would be facing together as friends, as nakama, as _family_. Little bolts of lightning crackled off on Nami's climatact, lighting up the shadows on her face. Usopp stood next to her, gripping his Kabuto and palming a bag full of pop greens. He gave her a confident smile and a thumbs-up. Chopper stood in Heavy Point, arms bulking outwards as fur lined up over his muscles. His ears wiggled around as he listened closely for an suspicious sounds.

Sanji and Zoro put aside their disputes for a moment and instead each focused their visible eye towards the direction of the lake. Franky put his shades back on and grinned at Robin, who had cloned herself and was practicing by sprouting limbs all around her. Brook stood at the front of the group next to Luffy, whose face was serious yet held the hint of a smile. Brook pulled his sword out of its sheath and raised it up his head, the blade glinting in the sunlight. He turned around and looked at his nakama, all of who watched him expectantly, obediently listening to what he'd have to say.

"We're going into a fight that not only involves us, but every living and non-living thing on this island. We fight for the souls who want nothing more than to be free but can't."

_A family of spirits stood in what was once their village, looking around gloomily as they remembered precious memories, the only things that made them feel alive. A little girl reached for a doll that was on the ground only to sob when her hand went through it. The little boy who had given the orb to Liara earlier walked forward and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. They looked at each other and smiled sadly._

"We fight for Merida, who has suffered for so long and wants nothing more than to be with her lost love."

_Merida knelt next to Liara's lifeless body, her palms pressed together as if she was in prayer. Tears slid down her face as she focused on the flickering candlelight. Several fairies floated around her and looked at her grievously as they knew they couldn't be of any comfort.._

"We fight to protect the faeries and other creatures who call this island home."

_A large bird flew overhead, calling out in delight as its baby birds flapped their small swings proudly behind him. Below a family of merfolk swam together, laughing as they flipped out of the water._

"But most of all, we fight for Liara, who is our nakama and who I vow to never let go of again!" he finished with a yell and raised sword, earning cheers from the rest of the group. "Now let's go!" All of them stood together and marched forward with their heads held high, heading to the place where everything would end.

At last they stood in front of the lake, which looked just as peaceful as it had the other times they'd been there. Nami tensed up as a strong feeling of uneasiness grabbed hold of her. Everything suddenly grew silent, as if time itself had stopped. Not even a breeze blew by, and the body of water in front of them looked like a giant mirror, reflecting off its unmoving surroundings. They all looked up into the sky, watching as the sun perched itself right in the middle of the sky. A beam of light shot down into the lake, blinding the Strawhats for a few moments until it disintegrated into absolute nothingness.

In an instant, the lake turned pitch black, ridding any traces of blue that once existed within the waters. Usopp gulped but steadily held onto his Kabuto, proud that his legs weren't quivering like they used to two years ago. Zoro's eye brows lowered as he pulled out one of his swords and placed it in his mouth. Creatures began oozing out of the black surface, their eyes and jagged open mouths glowing scarlet. They each let out little chuckles, high pitched and dripping with venom. The strawhats winced at the eerie sound, but didn't back off, even as the numbers of the odd beasts in front of them seemed to be multiplying.

Brook lunged forward, hollow eyes narrowed in anger and a yell of pure rage resonating from his mouth as he aimed his sword straight ahead. Luffy ran after him, grinning like a madman as he threw a fist forward and broke through one of the shadows. Much to his disappointment, their enemies seemed to break quite easily. However, as soon as one of the shadows disappeared, another one crawled right out of the lake.

"This isn't good," Nami murmured in annoyance as she realized just how tiring their battle was going to be. She glanced at Robin, who nodded as they placed their backs against each other and began unleashing a wide array of attacks that were effective but not highly-energy consuming. Their strength was going to be needed if the fight was going to be a long one.

Usopp stood near one of the many exits of the lake, shooting left and right at any shadows that had managed to get past the pirates closest to the lake. Franky was on the opposite side of the area doing the same thing as Usopp. He mentally thanked himself for having brought along extra cola as he shot forward one of his fists and morphed his other arm into a shield.

As much as Zoro and Sanji argued, they made quite the team when it came to fighting. They spun around each other, with Sanji's leg smashing through the creatures' heads and Zoro pushing himself forward and cutting through every dark being he saw. He was only using two swords, as the enemies were weak and didn't require extra strength to be used against them.

Brook swung his sword around, slashing any enemies that were unlucky enough to be close to him at the time. His face was twisted in fury as he defeated one enemy after the other, feeling no compassion for the monsters that had crawled out of their black Hell. He had lost Liara once, and he wasn't going to stop fighting until she came back.

Liara wandered aimlessly up and down the stairs, her eyes traveling around her surroundings as she searched for some sort of sign that would tell her who she was and what happened to her. She felt like she was trapped in some sort of dream, except everything felt very real. Every time she saw some form of water around her, she would stare at her reflection, searching her mirrored eyes to see if she could remember anything. She would then feel frustrated and walk off. She was lost, and all she wanted was to stop running into bushes and trees so she could be found.

**[Music: Inuyasha Movie 2 OST-Prayer, Wish]**

Eventually she came down another path of stairs, and as she did so, her eyes fell on a bush that was overflowing with beautiful flowers. She smiled at the sight, but noticed one in particular that really captured her attention. It was a beautiful purple flower that had white outer edges, and something about it seemed really familiar. As if she was in a trance, she walked over to it and carefully pulled it from the bush. Her eyes narrowed in thought as she cradled it in her hand. Something about it made her happy, and for the first time since she'd woken up she could feel her heart beating. A name suddenly rolled off her tongue. "Brook..." Her eyes widened in bewilderment as everything rushed back to her. The Strawhats, her family, and Brook...how could she have forgotten them?!

All of a sudden the scenery around her began to dissolve, melting away into the background that was starting to form around her. The bushes and trees were replaced by Chopper pounding his fists into the bodies of frightening black creatures that disappeared into tiny black particles with each hit. She reached forward to touch him, but discovered in absolute horror that her hand went right through him. Her whole body was a light green color with wavy lines glowing off of her, just like the spirits she had seen in the village only a few days ago.

"That's right," she thought to herself sadly. "I'm dead."

She ran forward, calling out each friend's name that she passed, even though she knew her attempts were in vain. They were all fighting, looking exhausted as they pushed forward and fought back against the never-ending wave of enemies. All of her friends were there, putting in every ounce of strength they had to support her, and she wouldn't let their efforts go to waste.

And that was when she saw him.

Brook was off to the side, smashing away anything that came across his path. He looked like a wounded animal that was trying to fight for its pride, a face that Liara had never seen before. He looked frustrated and hurt, and it broke her heart. She walked over to him, gasping as he fell on his knees. The creatures around him had vanished for now, but more were still coming out of the lake, which would only give him a brief moment of rest. He stuck his sword in the ground and hung his head.

She wanted to console him and tell him she was there, that everything would be okay. She walked behind him, knowing that even though her attempt wouldn't work, she had to do something. She leaned down and wrapped her arms around his neck, squeezing her eyes shut as a tear fell from her eyes and through his shoulder. She didn't notice Brook's head suddenly lifting up and his jaw opening.

"Liara?" he asked, staring straight head. Liara looked at him, her mouth opening in awe as she wondered if he was only saying her name or knew she was there.

"Brook?" she whispered.

His head suddenly fell forward as green smoke oozed out of his eye socket, causing Liara to jump backwards in surprise. She shielded her eyes as bright green light suddenly flashed. It disappeared and as she lowered her arm, she let out a cry of joy as she saw him standing before her.

"Brook!" she shouted as she ran forward and jumped into his arms. He lifted her up with ease and tightened his arms around her waist. "How are you here?" she asked in awe.

He chuckled. "I am dead, so it's pretty easy for me so sense the presence of another dead being. Call it a gift I guess." His laughter faded as he then lowered his head in regret and placed a thumb on her cheek, causing her to blush.

"Liara," he nervously began, "I know I really hurt you and I am so, so sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing by giving you a chance for a happy life with somebody who wouldn't get stared at and who you could have a family with, but I can see I was wrong." Liara opened her mouth to speak but Brook placed a finger on her lips. "I want you to know that when this is over, I want us to be together." He smiled. "Can you forgive me?"

Liara's eyes glistened with tears as she nodded. Before she could stop herself, she jumped into Brook's arms again and wrapped her arms around his neck, placing her lips on the center of his teeth. Brook's eye sockets widened for an instant in delight before shrinking, as if he was closing his eyelids. They remained like that for a few more seconds before Liara pulled away and smiled, her eyes glowing with pure happiness. Brook pulled her tightly against him as her head fell onto his shoulder. They felt more love in that moment than ever before, and absolute happiness. Brook lowered her and she smiled as she raised her hand to where his lips would be and pressed them against his teeth as a sign for a kiss. Liara beamed up at him and then looked at the black lake.

"I need to go and fight now," she said with a sigh, not wanting to leave him. "I promise I'll come back though, and I want you to know that I've always been fighting for you." A tear of joy slid down her cheek.

"I know," he proudly said. "I know." He bent down and placed his teeth gently against her forehead. "Go get him sweetheart."

Liara nodded and ran towards the lake with Brook watching her from behind. She took a deep breath and walked towards the center, the water she had once swam in feeling like solid ground beneath her feet. She turned around and held out her hand, gripping the handle of her sword as it appeared. "I'll be back!" she yelled out as she began sinking below the surface. "I love you!" She disappeared beneath the water as Brook's spirit returned to his body. He lifted his physical head and gripped his sword, smiling.

"I love you too."

_**Sorry if the kiss scene disturbed anybody. Lol. I know most people might not picture kissing a skeleton to be romantic or normal but love is what it is. : ] Also, any guesses as to what Brook's wish is going to be? ; ]**_


	29. Over

_**Guys, I got about 11 reviews last chapter. That's AMAZING. : D Thank you all for being so wonderful! I'm really glad you didn't find the kiss scene disturbing! -Jumps up and down triumphantly-**_

_** Anyways, we only have one chapter left to go after this. ;_; Can you believe it? My goodness...Exactly 30 chapters. At least it ends on an even number. XD By the way, almost all of you submitted a guess as to what Brook's wish is and all I gotta say is that you have to wait and see! XP Most of you were very close though.**_

_** Please keep the reviews coming, and once again thank you! **_

Chapter 29: Over

**[Music: Buffy the Vampire Slayer- The Final Fight Extended Version 0:00-5:37]**

She was enshrouded in a veil of darkness, all traces of visible light lost to the world above as she sank even further under the black surface. The only company she had was the weight of the Enchantress in her grip, a sword she barely knew how to use, yet knew she needed in order to defeat the cruel spirit that held Adam hostage. Liara was honestly terrified, as she wasn't a very experienced fighter and was taking on a powerful creature that not even the magic of hundreds of faeries could take down. She didn't know how she could win, but so much rested on her victory, so she couldn't afford to lose.

She smiled. Her and Brook could finally be together when the fighting was over, and the Strawhats could continue sailing to fulfill more of their whole idea made her giddy with excitement, but it was one that would have to wait, as she had something very important to take care of first.

The darkness around her suddenly disintegrated into square-like particles, leaving in its place an entirely new set of scenery. In front of her was appeared to be a courtyard, with cobblestone pavement and bright green hedges evenly spaced out on both sides of her, all leading down a vertical path. Like the land from earlier, this was also floating over an abyss of nothingness. She took a deep breath, wiped her sweaty palms on her dress, and stepped forward.

The whole place had to be an illusion, just like the area she'd been in before. There was no way such a beautiful place could exist beneath the island, not to mention a blue sky was now somehow painted over her head. She decided to trust her instincts and be careful, as she had learned first hand that not everything was what it appeared to be.

As she continued walking, Liara noticed statues, that, like the hedges, were placed evenly apart on each side. Each statue was of what appeared to be a mythological creatures, all beautifully carved and etched in fine detail. The first statue on her right was a mermaid whose scales seemed to shine though she was nothing but grey stone, and the centaur on her left looked as if he was going to charge towards her. There was also a phoenix, a fairy, an elf, and many other beautiful creatures that all seemed so life-like that a chill ran up her back. They all lead her attention towards the center of the yard.

Goosebumps prickled up her skin. She drew in a sharp intake of breath.

Before her was a man, crouched over and smiling at the ground. His smile scared her, not only because she didn't know what he was smiling about, but also because it looked cruel, as if he'd hurt somebody and thought it was funny. He made no sound, only stared down at the ground, where his shadow was supposed to be but was nonexistent. She hesitantly walked closer, keeping her sword tight in her grip the entire time.

At last she stood only a few feet away from him. She waited for him to lift his head up or make some sort of movement that told her he knew she was there. He continued to remain silent. She sighed-she would have to make the first move.

"Ex-excuse me, but are you Adam?" she nervously asked, trying to mask the uneasiness in her voice. The man in front of her might have Adam's body, but an entirely different spirit resided within. For another moment the man continue to look down without even a twitch or any other hint of movement. At last, the man slowly lifted his head up, his smile growing even wider as his eyes, tinted with red, bleak and lifeless, seemed to peer right into her. He stood up in one swift movement with absolute grace, causing her to take a step backward. Liara wasn't going to back down from him, but she didn't want to be right in his face either. Adam radiated off an evil vibe, but there was something about him that seemed to be pleading for help. It was tucked away beneath the scarlet tint in his eyes, but there nonetheless. She needed to free him, and that's exactly what she intended to do. She raised her sword, pointing the sharp blade at him as he began walking around her, their eye contact unfaltering.

" I've been waiting for you," he at last spoke, his voice thick and raspy. He tilted his head in a curious manner and looked at her with a taunting expression. Adam reached towards her face, his fingers stretching forward as if he yearned to feel her flesh on fingers that had been denied contact for so long. Liara backed up, eyes widened in fright as she tried to step away from his craving hands.

"Now, now, didn't you come and find me? Don't you want to say hello and "chat" for a bit?" Long shadows appeared below him and sprung out across the ground at her, causing him to cruelly laugh as Liara ran away in vain, knowing she had nowhere to go. One of the shadows wrapped around her ankles, earning a yell of surprise from her as she fell forward, scraping her arms and knees against the rough pavement. Her dress was already starting to tear, and she could feel bruises forming on her kneecaps. Her head was yanked upwards as a floating hand latched itself into her hair, baring her peach-colored neck. She anxiously looked around for her fallen sword, spotting it several feet away from her. She needed to find a way to break free!

She reached upwards to try and pry the grabbing hand away from her hair, her arm muscles growing tired as her arms remained up in the air, fighting to break herself free. At last she spun herself around, ignoring the stinging pain in her scalp. Her body formed into the shape of a bow as she pushed her face against the hand, and bit down.

The hand shook and vanished, releasing her back onto the ground with a thud. Fortunately, she had placed her hands behind her head to soften the impact, though her knuckles were now aching. She tickled the shadow that had binded her ankle, grinning with relief when it let her go. She ran forward and finally swiped the Enchantress off the ground. She bent her knees and placed the sword with both hands in front of her face in an attempt to guard herself. She licked her dry lips and furrowed her brows in concentration as he only walked closer to her, unimpressed by her fighting.

"Please, stay for a bit. It's been so long since I've last had a guest," he purred with bitter amusement. He soon stood over her, teeth bared and gleaming like a bloodthirsty animal. He raised an index finger up, shooting up a black pillar into her back between her shoulder blades. The impact shot her into the air, as if she was nothing more than a rag doll. As she fell towards him, he shot a beam from his hand, causing her to fly into one of the statues. Her body fell limply to the ground, eyes only halfway open. In a way, it was surprising. Such an attack would've done severe damage to her in her physical body, yet there weren't really any signs of physical abuse on her spiritual form. However, the pain was still there, only it was numb from the exhaustion she felt. She had to get up. She couldn't lay like this when she was supposed to be fighting.

Her wary eyes suddenly drew in the sight of the mermaid statue looming over her, its blank eyes open and beckoning. Liara shook her head to relieve the feeling of drowsiness before hobbling up and diving behind the water peeked cautiously around the statue's stone base, her mouth turning dry as she saw Adam was no longer in sight. Her fingertips gripped the stone in worry as her pupils darted around, hoping to see some sign or trace of him.

"Looking for me?" He was next to her in a heartbeat, her eyes widened in panic as she pushed herself away from the statue, breath caught in her throat. With a startled cry, she bolted towards the center again, not wanting to be close to the land's edge. She knew that if she were to die in this realm, she wouldn't wake up ever again, and her soul would be trapped. Liara couldn't afford to lose, which meant she needed to put every ounce of strength she had into this fight. She spun around once she reached the center, biting her lip as nerves grinded into every ounce of her being.

He walked slowly to her, his footsteps silent with each calm step he took. He stopped when he was about five feet from her, smirking as he spread his arms open. Liara closely watched him; he was up to something. Adam tilted his head back and howled in laughter, his body suddenly collapsing onto the ground as the shadow stood there instead, its form pitch black and eyes blood red. Liara's mouth dropped open with a gasp as she watched Adam's body laying on its back, looking stiff and lifeless. She wanted to do nothing more at that moment than to run to his body and take him back to Merida, but that was out of the question. A drop of sweat appeared on her forehead as she tried to focus on the enemy in front of her, her nerves clutched together.

This was it. She had to be ready.

The black form slid closer to her like a snake preparing to strike. It cackled and plunged its arms into the ground, shooting up columns of dusk mixed with lighting. One popped up right next to Liara, stinging the fingers on her left hand. She let out a small cry at the sudden shocking contact and glanced down at her hand to see her fingertips had turned bright pink. It wasn't the worst pain she'd ever felt, but was unpleasant nonetheless. She glanced angrily at her enemy and back at the column. She really wanted to just stab through it, but disregarded the idea as she really didn't want to be fried. Gripping her sword, she charged towards him, blade pointed straight forward. She was hoping to stab him while he was occupied with his attack, but was caught off guard as an arm sprouted from just beneath his face and plunged at her, making direct contact and knocking her onto her back. She heaved at the loss of air and coughed as she wrapped her arms protectively around her stomach. The impact wasn't severe but had still knocked a decent amount of air from her lungs. Her breath came out in ragged gasps as she shakily re grabbed her sword. She stood up but fell back down, trying to ignore the taunting laughter directed at her.

"What an idiot you are!" the creature snarled as it withdrew the columns. "I'm like a God, and yet you decided to weakly run at me? Ha!" Liara helplessly looked at the powerful being as it only grew larger and began wrapping itself around her. Terror gripped her.

It was going to swallow her whole.

She looked behind her and saw the ledge of the floating platform. She was trapped, with not a single place to run to. The statues were getting swallowed and shriveling up to mere dust particles with each space it slide forward. Liara was trapped, dread wrapped around her. This was the end; she was going to die, and this time, permanently.

Well, she wasn't going to leave without a fight.

She bent down and lunged forward, using her feet to push off the ground and provide extra speed for her attack. The blade of Enchantress slashed into the black form, but the spot simply sunk in and whisked away into curls of smoke. "N-No," was all she could stammer in a broken voice. Another column smashed into her, knocking her and her sword straight back and off the platform. She spiraled downward, hands stretched up as she dropped farther away. Her eyes closed and her hands slowly went back to her sides.

This wasn't supposed to happen. She had lost, and now she would never see Brook or her friends ever again. She had let everybody down. What a fool she was.

A faint smile crossed her lips as she recalled memories of past experiences she and the Strawhats had shared: her meeting the crew, their night out together, the fireworks, drawing Usopp, learning how to use a sword, being rescued...all of them rushed into her mind in a blaze of light. At least they'd had good times together, and she'd even experienced being in love. Her lower lip trembled, but her eyes remained shut.

Love really had happened for her. It wasn't the number one thing she'd searched for in life, yet it had found her where she'd least expected it. Her fingers twitched. She would never be able to hold hold hands with Brook ever again, or wrap her arms around him, or tell him that she loves him. A tear slid out from beneath her eyelid, but remained attached to her cheek. Her eyes opened.

Floating beside her was the little boy spirit she'd met only a couple days ago, and the rest of the lost souls. Time seemed to stop as she was slipped around so she could face him correctly, her hair falling back over her shoulders as she stood in stunned silence. The little boy smiled and pulled her sword out of thin air. Liara smiled in appreciation as she reached for it, grateful for the familiar feeling of the sword's handle once again in her hands. The boy and the other spirits bunched up in front of her, all of them looking down at the Enchantress.

"Use us to win," the little boy whispered. "Physical attacks won't work, so let us bind into the blade. We'll win, trust us." Liara felt hope flutter in her chest at his words. She knew by now that she should expect the unexpected. The impossible could be possible if she believed it to be so. Her eyes gleamed as she raised the sword straight up, not taking her eyes off the boy in front of her as she did so. He nodded and quickly blended into the blade, the other souls following en suite. With each soul that entered, she felt her power growing stronger and stronger until at last her sword glowed bright white, the effect melting into her skin. Her entire body shone as white as snow, her eyes beaming like two pearls. She shot upwards until she reached the platform. With the grace of a cat she landed back on her feet, sword armed and ready. This time, she wasn't going to lose.

The creature had shrunk back down to its original size in belief to having been victorious, though its form seemed to sag in disappointment from losing the thousandth soul. It growled at Liara's return, seemingly pleased at another chance to consume her. Her presence this time was different though. She stood straight and radiated with confidence as she walked towards the repulsive beast, mouth set in a firm line.

"Back for me, are you? Good! I like a long fight!" it hissed as it dove towards the young woman, claws sprouted out to cage its prey. Liara pushed her sword out and cut through both claws with ease, black spots covering her all over. She blinked and tried to hold on to her serious expression as she suppressed the shudder of nausea she felt from the contact of dead tissue that felt like slime. The shadow screeched in pain as its claws melted and dripped onto the ground. The sky above became black, swallowing the group into its sensation of a starless night.

Liara's entire body suddenly felt light. She tilted her view downwards and noticed the ground was now a decent distance away from her feet. She was suspended in midair, directly hovering over the pitiful monster that continued to scream in agony from the pure spirits that had fused themselves into the sword's strike. She raised her sword up, the tip of the blade pointed down. A rush of exhilaration raced through her. It was time.

"This is for the lost souls! For Merida! For Adam! For Fantasia Island! For my nakama! And for Brook!" she yelled, her chin lifted high. "Full-Spirit Sword Chop!" She shot downwards, her blade stabbing through to the center of the shadow's head. White orbs spiraled around her as she sliced as deep as she could, trying to ignore the ear-splitting screams that were being released. She gritted her teeth and pushed down with all her strength, her fingers cramping up and her arms growing stiff and tired. "Just a little more," she groaned out loud. "Almost there!" She wasn't sure whether she was trying to convince herself or the spirits, but something was needed to keep them going.

At last, her blade and feet made contact with the ground. The creature's screaming ceased into nothingness, and all was silent.

The monster had been cut clean in half.

For a moment, Liara just stood there, bent down with her fingers still firmly wrapped around Enchantress's handle. The glow from her and the sword disappeared as the souls all crawled out, cheering and whistling as they danced in happiness from finally being free. She smiled and fell onto her back in exhaustion, eyes shutting and cramped fingers curled up into her palm. The shouts of happiness around her faded away.

Everything was fine now. Finally, the nightmare was over.

**[I'm so sorry for such a short fight scene. Action is really not my forte. XP ]**


	30. Together

_** Guys, this is it, we're done. I wanted to finish this as soon as possible and release it as a little gift to you guys for staying with me all thirty chapters. I kid you not, I really started to cry when I finished this. **_

_** This probably won't be the last time you see Liara, but I don't really have any more stories planned for her at the moment. I'll let you know when I do think of something though. Also, I will continue drawing pictures of her and Brook, so keep checking on me on deviantart for any new drawings. : ] **_

_** To everybody who reviewed last chapter, thank you all so much! This is now the number one Brook story on this site so thank you! I'm ecstatic and beyond thankful! Not one unkind word has been directed towards this story. You've all been wonderful to me so thank you from the bottom of my heart.**_

_** I hope that by reading this story you've learned that love really can happen to anybody, no matter what you look like or how old you are. If you feel alone then don't lose hope, as I truly believe that everybody out there has a soul mate, they just haven't been found yet. **_

_** I'll end up releasing something after this chapter that has all the hidden Disney and fairy tale references in this story. So stay tuned!**_

_** My next story is probably going to be about Usopp and Nami, as they are another couple I like. Usopp may look different, but I think he's somebody any woman would be lucky to have, and him and Nami are just perfect for each other in my opinion.**_

_** Thanks once again, and enjoy! **_

Chapter 30: Together

Bodies ached, muscles burned, and the air smelled like an awful mixture of death and sweat.

For an hour straight the Strawhats had fought waves upon waves of the unending shadow monsters, refusing to let a single one stray away from Cerulean Lake. The battle was nowhere near their most difficult, but it had been tiring nonetheless to protect the rest of Fantasia Island from falling under destruction without a moment of rest.

"Luffy, I don't know how much longer I can keep this up!" Usopp yelled to his captain as he aimed another pop green at the slippery creatures from hell. " My supply is starting to run out!"

The rubber man had resorted to using Bazooka and Pistol Shot just to keep the enemies back. Luffy was still disappointed that the enemy wasn't more challenging, but was enjoying being able to fight all the same. He grinned, the rim of his straw hat casting a shadow over his eyes and giving him the look of a mad man. "Just keep going! Liara will kick that guy's ass in no time!"

"Damn straight she will!" Nami shouted in agreement as she used Gust Sword, blowing away three of the unsuspecting creatures with the end of her Clima-Tact. Her bangs were slick with sweat and sticking to her forehead, but she felt great, regardless of the fact that she'd rather have been swimming somewhere nice and cool. She looked over at Brook to see how he was holding up, and felt pleased to see him singing to himself as he slashed out all around him. At first, she'd been worried that he would've still been blaming himself for Liara's death, but luckily he was fighting like his old self again. [No pun intended.]

All of a sudden, the shadows began to explode, creating large puffs of smoke that disappeared within seconds. Robin and the others watched in wonder as the creatures completely vanished without a trace, and the pool of black melted away to reveal the once again blue waters of Cerulean Lake. She smiled as victorious cheers erupted all around her. "I suppose this means our Artist won, hmm?"

Usopp, Chopper, Franky, and Luffy wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders and kicked their legs up. "That's right, back to Hell for you guys! That's right, back to Hell for you guys!"

"Idiots," Sanji muttered as he lit a fresh cigarette and exhaled a line of smoke from his lips. He tapped the toes of his shoes against the ground to make sure they were still placed tightly on his feet before looking over and seeing a napping Zoro laying comfortably out in front of the lake. He strongly fought the urge to kick him in.

Brook slowly slipped his sword back into its sheath, his fingers shaking in excitement. Liara,_ his_ Liara, had done it. He was so proud of her, and he couldn't wait to see her and tell her how much he loved her and...

"Brook, what are you still doing here? Go get her and bring her back!" Nami cheered with a raised fist.

"Yeah! Come on Brook! Get your girl!" Usopp encouraged as the others cheered right along with him. Brook looked at Sanji, who smiled and nodded his head. The skeleton's jaw widened into a grin before he turned around and took off running towards the cave, heart fully pounding against his ribs.

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**[Music: Honor (Main Title Theme from "the Pacific")**

Liara's body glowed softly, returning color to her cheeks as her heart once again pumped blood into her veins. Thick eyelashes fluttered before slowly lifting up and revealing twin pools of blue that were slightly glazed over and hazy, but cleared in a matter of seconds. Her whole body felt stiff, but she supposed that was to be expected after being dead for several hours. She stretched her arms up and yawned as if she'd just had the most wonderful nap, and forced herself to sit up. She warily looked around and saw that Merida was no longer next to her, nor any of her friends. Her eyes lit up.

Brook! She had to find him!

Carefully she slid off the slab of stone that had been covered with flowers and grabbed her sword, which had been placed beside her. She wrapped it securely around her waist and left the room.

She quickly walked down the tunnel, gently pushing aside the vines until she reached the entrance. She raised her arm over her eyes as she stepped out into the sunlight, enjoying the warmth that danced across her skin from the sun's rays. She closed her eyes and smiled.

Brook.

Without another thought she opened her eyes and started to run towards the lake. Her dress swished around her legs as she skidded around rocks and plants, heartbeat quickening and arms raised at her sides.

"Brook!" she yelled, voice bouncing off the trees in the surrounding forest. Birds nesting in nearby branches flew away as Liara repeatedly yelled Brook's name, her throat already starting to hurt.

"Liara!"

Her face broke into a smile as his faint but still present voice carried across the wind towards her. She yelled his name again and picked up speed, emotion riding into her voice as their yelling only grew louder. He was so close! She jumped over a small boulder and pushed away the branches that tore at her dress, not letting anything get in her away. Nothing was going to stop her!

She emerged into a large clearing filled with only grass and small rocks. Her eyes darted around until at last she spotted his tall figure running out of the forest on the opposite side. Tears slid down her face.

"BROOK!"

Both of them were smiling and crying as they ran even faster, breaths coming out in pants and muscles stinging as they only pushed themselves harder, the desire to touch each other overwhelming.

Brook opened his arms as Liara finally jumped into them, arms slung around his neck as his wrapped securely around her waist. She sobbed happily into his shoulder as he pressed his face into her neck and just held her, breathing in her scent and kissing the tip of her shoulder. When he pulled away he looked her right in the face and caressed her cheek.

"I love you Liara. I've loved you for so long and I'm never letting you go again. Never." He pressed his teeth against her lips, earning a happy sigh from her. He pulled away again and set her down, placing his forehead against hers.

"I love you too Brook," she whispered as her lips pecked his forehead, cheeks glowing bright pink and eyes sparkling. He squeezed her hands and smiled.

"I hope you don't mind, and I understand that this is rather sudden, but there is one last wish that can be granted, and I want to do it." Liara looked at him in surprise but nodded. "It seems selfish, but this wish will be wonderful for us both, I promise you."

Liara squeezed his hands back. "I trust you."

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"Liara!" Nami squealed as she ran to her friend and embraced her, tears falling down her cheeks. Liara returned the hug with just as much affection, glad to be back with her best friend. Robin, while not one for being super affectionate, also hugged the young brunette, saying how happy she was to have their Artist back.

"Yeah, because Luffy can't draw worth a damn," Usopp said between happy sobs as he hugged Liara next, much to their captain's annoyance. The group broke out into laughs as they realized how true it was, and even Luffy ended up chuckling. Each Strawhat went up and hugged her, welcoming her back and telling her how much they missed her. The only one who didn't hug her was Zoro but he placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezed it, looked her right in the eyes and told her that she was worthy of being a great swordsman, something that meant more to her than any hug he could've given her.

"Welcome back, my dear."

The emotional reunion subsided as all heads turned towards the lake. A young woman with golden hair and large gray eyes stood in front of the water, her eyes sparkling with glimmering with happiness. The Strawhats looked puzzled at first until Liara ran towards the woman and hugged her.

"Thank you so much, Merida."

A gasp echoed throughout the group.

"Wait, you're the grandma?" Luffy bellowed out in surprise, causing Sanji to kick him in the back of his rubber head.

" Don't be so rude to a lady, you shithead!" Sanji snapped as he lowered his foot back to the ground. His serious expression suddenly turned into a lovesick one as he clasped his hands together and fell before her. "Oh my sweet, pay him no mind! I'm here for you!"

Merida rolled her eyes. "Sweetheart, that doesn't work on me, but thank you. Also," she narrowed her eyes at Luffy, who stood there picking his nose in awe, "I may be older than you but I'm still perfectly healthy and could kick your ass any day."

Nami clapped her hands in approval. "Alright! Way to go Merida!" She ignored Luffy's glare.

"How are you young again?" Robin asked in fascination.

Merida grinned and wrapped an arm around Liara's shoulders. "When this young lady defeated the evil spirit that cursed us, the faeries got their powers back and turned me young again. That's not all though." She turned around and smiled as Adam walked out from behind some bushes and linked his hand in hers. "They are allowing me to turn in my wings and leave the island with him. Friends, this is Adam, my sweetheart."

Adam bowed his head politely and smiled. " Nice to meet you all. Thank you all so much for breaking the curse and allowing us to finally be together."

Liara hugged them both. "I'm so happy for you!" she exclaimed. "You deserve it!"

"But doesn't taking your wings out hurt?" Chopper squeaked out, unable to imagine the pain a fairy must feel in doing so.

Merida shook her head. "Not really. I'm sure there are faeires all over the world that you don't know about, but they've just taken their wings off to fit in with the crowd. I turned in my wings to give back enough power for Adam's wish to come true, and luckily there happens to be just enough magic for one more wish." She smiled at Brook. "And I believe you'll be doing that, correct?"

**[Music: Pokemon 2000:The Power of One- The Legend Comes to Life]**

Brook stepped forward and nodded. "Yes, Miss Merida." He looked at Liara, who returned his glance with a curious stare. He reached for her hands, and squeezed them. "Liara, I want us to be together and happy for a long time, so I've decided..." his eye sockets focused deeply into her eyes, "...to become a living young man again."

Liara's eyes widened as a squeak escaped her mouth. "Brook! That's such a sacrifice! Are you sure you want to give up your powers? You really want to..."

"Yes," he firmly said. "Yes, I want to give up my powers so I can live and breathe and grow old with you. I would turn down all the powers in the world just so I can be alive with you, because I love you and that by itself makes life worth living."

Liara's eyes glistened with tears; her heart felt like it was about to explode from the love and happiness she felt. Even Franky's loud crying in the background didn't ruin the moment, though it did make things a bit funnier. Liara sniffled and nodded before raising his knuckles to her lips and planting a kiss on them. " You're so beautiful Brook, skeleton or not." She beamed at him. "Alright, let's live life together."

They hugged each other, earning some "aww's" from the group before pulling apart, Liara's cheeks flushed and Brook grinning. Liara stood back from him and watched as he walked over to Merida and Adam. The other couple nodded their approval and moved to the side. Brook turned around and looked back at his friends.

"We love ya Brook, no bones about it!" Usopp gave a thumbs-up.

"Does that mean there won't be any more skull jokes?" Chopper asked.

"You're awesome Brook, no matter what!"

"We're with you!"

He wasn't sure how he was able to get so lucky and have great friends, but he was absolutely grateful that it was their ship that had invited him on board. He bowed his head.  
>"Yohohohoho! Here I go!" He faced the lake, held his head high, and began walking into it.<p>

The group fell into a hushed silence as they watched their friend sink into the water until he was swimming, arms pushing forward in wide strokes. When he lifted his head up and saw he was in the center, he rolled onto his back, arms and legs spread out. He tilted his head upward, and yelled out the words that would forever change his life.

"I wish to be a living, 24-year old man again!"

The water suddenly flashed bright white. His body lifted up from the liquid, droplets of the lake falling off from all over his body. Multicolored orbs lifted out of the water and circled around him, followed by multiple beams of different colored lights. As he was flipped into a standing position, the lights began pressing all over his body, and right away he began feeling the difference. Muscles covered his bones as blood, veins and organs formed in their correct spots. Nails grew and lips covered his teeth as he once again breathed through his nostrils. The whole process was almost overwhelming as he felt himself literally becoming alive again. Warmth spread throughout his body as he could feel his actual heart beating, allowing blood, _his_ blood, to flow through him.

And then, it was over.

He was lowered back onto the water, his back still facing his friends as they anxiously awaited to see his new look. Liara's hands were clasped together and in front of her mouth, thumbs pressing into her chin as she watched him stand on the lake like it was a solid surface, his form straight and unmoving. The lights swirled around him once more before breaking apart into even smaller lights that fell back into the water, and then he turned around.

Liara stood frozen, lips parted and eyes widened. She heard her crewmates gasping in awe, just as speechless as she was.

Brook was still tall, in his suit, and with his trademark afro, but other than that he was unrecognizable. Peach-colored flesh covered the bones that had once been so visible, pale pink lips hid his teeth and new tongue, and his eyes...they were the most beautiful eyes Liara had ever seen; orbs of violet that gazed upon her and looked like the stars themselves.

The new Brook began walking back towards his friends, his eyes not once leaving hers. She also began taking steps forward, breath caught in her throat at the mere sight of him. They met each other right before the water, too preoccupied with the other to notice anybody else.

"Brook?" she whispered, gazing at his face. She knew it was him, but it all seemed so unreal.

"Liara." His voice was younger, deeper than before. He slowly raised a hand up towards her face, hesitating at first before caressing her cheeks. Her skin had felt soft before, but it felt even more incredible against his own flesh. "Told you my eyes were purple," he said with a grin.

"Brook! It is you!" she exclaimed with utter joy. He quickly bent down and claimed her lips with his, their cheeks darkening as Liara wrapped her arms around his neck and he picked up her bridal style. Brook had waited too long to taste her lips, and it was the sweetest taste in the world.

Chopper grew red and hid behind Franky as the group began to cheer for their friends' happiness. Sanji became dramatic and cried over losing his princess while Zoro grinned and gave a grunt of approval. Nami sniffled, happy that the two of them were able to find love. Robin chuckled, clearly pleased with how things were going. Luffy jumped up and down, holding on to his hat.

"What are we waiting for?! Let's party!"

"YEAH!"

"Come on guys! Party at my place!" Merida shouted in excitement. Her and Adam linked hands and began running, the others soon following behind them. Liara and Brook were last to go, as they were discovering just how fun kisses were.

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The celebration lasted almost all night. There was a large bonfire in front of Merida's house, dancing, singing, eating, drinking and talking until the early hours of the morning. Just for fun, they all sang Bink's Sake while holding beer or food. It was the happiest day of Liara's life, and as she stayed up late into the night giggling and swapping stories with Robin and Nami like teenage girls, she realized that meeting the Straw Hats was the best thing to ever happen to her. She fell asleep with a smile on her face and a secret kiss on her lips.

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The next day arrived rather quickly, and brought with it the perfect weather for sailing. Thanks to more magic, the Strawhats' belongings were transported back to the ship, saving a lot of time and energy. Merida and Adam walked with them back to the ship, as they themselves had their own boat to get on.

Liara was a bit saddened to leave, but she knew there were other beautiful islands out there and besides...being with Brook was like she had a piece of the island all to herself. The thought made her smile with glee.

They all said goodbye to Merida and Adam before boarding the ship, happy to see the Sunny again after several days. Liara was the last person to get on.

"You take care of yourself, okay?" Merida wrapped Liara into a hug. " Don't let that knucklehead be too idiotic, although I might be asking for a miracle on that one."

Liara giggled before pulling away. "I'll try." She then frowned. "Will the other faeries be okay?"

The blonde woman nodded. "Absolutely. Their powers are already starting to return. They just need a rest, that's all."

Adam also gave her a hug. "We will never forget what you've done for us. And..." he gestured behind him. "...somebody else wants to say thank you."

Liara smiled as she saw the little boy, surrounded by his family and a smile on his face. Him and the other souls bowed to her, causing her cheeks to turn pink with embarrassment.

"Liara, you've saved all of us. Now we can be free. Thank you so much!"

She bowed her head in return. "I couldn't have done it without you, so thank you as well." She watched as they all waved to her before morphing into orbs and floating upwards towards the heavens. Anxious to see them off, she ran onto Sunny, her feet pounding against the ramp's surface.

**[Music: One Piece Movie 8- Yuuzora O Pell no Se ni Notte]**

"Alright guys! Let's go!" Nami shouted.

Usopp and Sanji unfurled the sails from the top of the masts while Franky took the wheel and Zoro lifted the anchor. Luffy made his way over to his spot on Sunny's head and waved to Merida and Adam.

"Bye! Thanks for everything!"

"Good luck!"

"See ya later!"

Liara stood at the back of the ship, arms draped over the railing and a large smile on her face as she waved along with everybody else. She then looked upwards and beamed as she saw hundreds of orbs rising into the sky like little lights.

" Looks like things worked out great huh?" Brook asked as he came up next to her. She grinned at him and nodded.

"I certainly think so." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I'm a bit unsure of what to do now though."

"What do you mean?"

" The dream I've had for so long finally came true, so what's next?"

He smiled. "That's the cool thing; you get to have a new dream."

She looked up at him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Then can living a great life with you be my new one?" she shyly asked as she brushed her nose against his.

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing, even though I'm pretty brainless." He leaned down. "Yo-ho-ho, skull joke" he whispered into her ear before his lips met hers.


	31. Answers

Yahoo! So, I'm not entirely sure how many people actually searched for Disney and Fairy Tale hints while reading the story, but I'm going to post this anyways. : ] I wanted to get the readers involved in the story, not just read it, which is why I included the mini game and the music. Time for the answers! : ]

By the way, I'm thinking of doing just a one-chapter story of Brook and Liara, but it'll be rated-M. ; ] Not entirely sure how you guys would feel about it, so please let me know.]

Chapter 2: Storm

***By midnight, she was all packed and ready to leave. Before she left, however, she stopped by her parent's room and set a little note on the bedside table that stood next to her mother's sleeping figure. She smiled at them sadly before turning around and walking to the front door, which she managed to close quietly behind her as she took the first steps on her journey.**

This was based off of the scene in Mulan, when she leaves behind her comb on the table next to her parent's bed. She looks at them sadly before taking the first step on her journey to the army.

***She glanced upwards just as another bolt of lightning shot downwards, this time striking the top of the mast. Gathering all of her strength, she forced herself to grab her bag and push herself over the railing, landing face first into the water.**

There is a storm scene in the Little Mermaid, when Ariel rescues Prince Eric from drowning. Lightning strikes his ship, catching it on fire. It then explodes, throwing him into the water.

Chapter 4: Song of the Night

***The sudden sound caused Liara to nearly jump out of her skin. She quickly turned around and felt a wave of relief as she saw only Brook standing there. The skeleton raised his hat politely before setting it back down on his afro. "Can't sleep?" he asked.**

This one could easily be overlooked, but I figured I'd mention that while writing this scene, I thought of Jim and Silver from Treasure Planet. Silver is leaning against the railing the first night that they're flying, and he's talking to Jim, getting to know him a little. From the moment this story started, I just kept seeing Brook and Liara talking at night while leaning against the railing, and I'm glad I was able to put this scene in.

Chapter 5: Nakama

***"So what should I draw?" she asked. Usopp leaned backwards so his arms were supporting his body up, and glanced upwards as if he was thinking really hard. "Each other?" he suggested, looking around the group for any signs of disapproval, none of which showed up.**

In the Hunchback of Notre Dame, while Quasimodo is singing Heaven's Light, the gargoyles are all drawing. While they are not drawing each other, I decided that having Liara sit in a circle with some of the Strawhats and drawing somebody recognizable to them would be kind of cool. I also love drawing, so I incorporated some of that into her character.

Chapter 6: A New Place

***While in a jewelry store, Liara came across a pair of large, blue diamonds that sparkled magnificently under the sunlight that poured in through the shop's large windows. Not being able to help herself, Liara carefully picked up the two jewels and placed them in front of her pupils. Both of them laughed as Brook took them from her and placed them in his eye sockets, giving the illusion that he had diamonds for eyes.**

Dopey, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, places two blue diamonds in front of his eyes, giving off the impression that he had diamonds for eyes. It's a cute scene that I simply couldn't not place in here.

Chapter 7: Night Out

***After dinner, Nami stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "Okay guys, I found this interesting-looking bar while in town earlier called The Sea Witch. Anyone interested in going tonight?"**

Named after Ursula, the Sea Witch, from the Little Mermaid.

***"Get her a Smashed Seagull," the Navigator loudly said so her voice could be heard over the music. **

Scuttle, the Seagull from the Little Mermaid, is constantly smashing into stuff, so I thought it would just be a little funny idea.

Chapter 13: Fireworks

***She glanced over at him, her smile growing even wider. "Of course. It's been so long since I've last seen fireworks. I'm really glad to be seeing them with my friends, especially you, Brook." Liara suddenly leaned forward, her eyes still focused on him. "You and Luffy and Nami and everybody else went all out to save me today, and I will always be grateful for that. You have all become so important to me..." she looked away. "Especially you Brook-" she looked back at him. "So thank you." And just before Brook could respond, Liara lay the side of her head against his arm.**

This was a mixture of Tangled and Aladdin. The little talking part before the show starts was inspired by Tangled, when Flynn and Rapunzel are sitting out on the water in their little boat before the lanterns are lit. The fireworks and arm-leaning thing came from Aladdin, when Aladdin and Jasmine are sitting on a roof in China and watching the firework show. Jasmine leans against Aladdin's shoulder at the end of the scene.

Chapter 16: Stars

***"That one kinda looks like a jellyfish," Liara observed as she pointed at a cluster of stars. "See the head and tentacles!" She looked over at Brook with an excited smile, seemingly proud she had managed to point it out. Brook nodded and grinned at her childish enthusiasm before looking back up.**

In The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride, Kovu and Kiara are laying out on the grass in the middle of the night, pointing out what the different stars in the sky look like. Kiara spotted a bunny, while Kovu saw two lions fighting each other.

Chapter 17: Fantasia Island

***In front of them was an enormous island that glowed like the sun. Over it stretched a perfectly visible rainbow, that began and ended in the surrounding water. **

A few of you guessed this already, but Fantasia Island was based off of Neverland. Like Neverland, there is a rainbow that stretches completely over it. I always thought Neverland looked beautiful, so I wanted to have an island in this story that captivated Neverland's beauty.

***Sunny went up the ramp slowly at first, but then began to pick up speed. The sails fully bellowed out as heavy bursts of air pushed Sunny up. "Hold onnnnnn!" Nami called out as the ship suddenly shot upwards. Brook protectively placed an arm around Liara, who had grabbed onto the front of his suit. **

Treasure Planet has a scene where Silver and Jim are placed against a mast and holding on to it as the ship falls into a black. Silver places a protective arm around Jim, and I found it to be a really caring gesture.

***A glow suddenly surrounded the ship as small balls of what appeared to be light poured off onto every inch of Sunny. Once again, Liara's eyes widened as she realized what they were seeing. "Fairies," she murmured, scarcely unable to believe her eyes.**

The Thousand Sunny flying from the faeries' magic is based off one of the ending scenes from Peter Pan, when the faeries spread pixie dust all over Hook's pirate ship so it can fly and take Wendy, Michael and John back to London.

Chapter 19: Souls

***"This island is currently home to 999 lost souls."**

There is a ride in the Disney parks called the Haunted Mansion, along with a movie based off of the ride. The narrator of the ride tells the riders that there are currently 999 ghosts roaming around, and asks who would like the the thousandth. I personally love the movie and adore the ride, so I wanted to put a nods towards it into this story. : ]

Chapter 20: Explain

***Liara stood at the bottom of the stairs with her hand on the railing. As she was saying goodnight to Brook, a sudden thought entered her mind. "Brook! I think I have a name for my sword!" she whispered excitedly.**

**"Oh, and what might that be?"**

**"Enchantress."**

Beauty and the Beast is my life, so of course I had to put something in here that hinted at it. The Enchantress is the one who put the spell over Beast, and since she's really powerful, I thought I would name this sword after her to give it a sort of powerful feeling.

Chapter 24: Under It All

***"Would you care to take the first sip Miss Lia..." His bottom jaw literally fell to the ground the moment he turned around. She stood there wearing a light blue bikini that brought out the pools of blue in her eyes even more, with a little black bow placed nicely in the top center of where her breasts met. Her lips parted nervously, and her cheeks turned bright pink in embarrassment under his gaze.**

There's a slightly amusing scene in Atlantis the Lost Empire when Milo turns around and is basically speechless because Kida is in her bathing suit.

***Her touch was so soft and warm, and there was something about her standing so close to him and touching him that made him feel like his heart was pounding against his ribs. Liara closed her eyes, keeping her hand placed on his ribcage.**

I love the whole thing in Tarzan where they can feel each other's hearts, showing that they're the same, regardless of what their appearance is.

***As her eyes scanned the walls, she noticed pictures covering almost every inch of the rock-like surface. She tugged on Brook's hand and pointed to where she was looking at. His jaw parted slightly in amazement, and together they both made their way towards the first wall panel they saw.**

The swimming and looking at pictures on the wall idea came directly from Atlantis the Lost Empire. There's a scene where Kida and Milo are swimming and he's looking at images and writing on the walls. I just thought it was a cool scene and really wanted Brook and Liara to do something similar.

Chapter 25: Pure Fantasy

*** A little cracking sound could be heard as soon as Brook landed on his rear, causing Liara to outwardly cringe. Brook slowly reached down and held up the cup, which now had a large chip on it's white surface.**

Yahoo! It's Chip from Beauty and the Beast! : ] (Not to mention I had to get my Rumbelle feelings in here...)

***She walked towards the tree, her eyes widening as she saw what appeared to be hundreds of fairies emerging from the trunk of the tree, as well as from the stream surrounding them. The faeries suddenly flew out, their golden wings permitting them to fly around Brook and Liara, spreading dust over both of them. Liara held out her hands and giggled as the dust tickled the palm of her hands.**

Another Peter Pan reference, though the dancing around while flying part came from the 2000 film version of Peter Pan. Such an awesome movie!

Chapter 26: Test

***She quickly wiped away the newly formed tears and walked back over to Merida, who wrapped an arm around her and patted her head as they finally left the area.**

Even though Merida is nothing like Mother Gothel, I couldn't help but feel like I should make her seem at least somewhat motherly, so the scene from Tangled came to mind. When Mother gothel tells Rapunzel Flynn left her and then walks away with her as she rubs her head really seemed to fit into this part.

Chapter 27: Come Back

***She was laying on a coffin of roses, her head cushioned by a small pillow of violet trimmed with gold.**

Basically based off of Sleeping Beauty or Snow White...take your pick.

***"But I broke that promise!" he sobbed out as he laid his head on top of hers. "Now you're gone and it's all my fault..it's all my fault." He ignored the hand placed on his shoulder as one of his tears fell onto her cheek.**

The "It's all my fault" part is from The Lion King, when Simba blames himself for Mufasa's death. he lowers his head and says "It's all my fault..it's all my fault." Brook pressing his forehead against Liara's and his tears falling onto her cheek is from Tangled, when Rapunzel is crying and her tears fall onto Flynn's cheek.

Chapter 28: Memory

*** A little girl reached for a doll that was on the ground only to sob when her hand went through it.**

I probably should've mentioned this earlier, but the doll on the ground in the village is from Mulan. When Mulan and the army walk through a destroyed village, she sees a little doll lying in the snow and picks it up sadly.

Chapter 30: Together

***Multicolored orbs lifted out of the water and circled around him, followed by multiple beams of different colored lights. As he was flipped into a standing position, the lights began pressing all over his body, and right away he began feeling the difference. **

Transformation scene from Beauty and the Beast. : ]

***"Brook! It is you!" she exclaimed with utter joy.**

What Belle says to Beast/Prince Adam after his transformation. She sees that his eyes are the same and exclaims "It is you!"

***She watched as they all waved to her before morphing into orbs and floating upwards towards the heavens. Anxious to see them off, she ran onto Sunny, her feet pounding against the ramp's surface.**

This is the ending scene of The Haunted Mansion film, when the ghosts turn into orbs and float up into the sky so they can pass on.

_**And that's it! How did you guys do? : ]**_


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